Thievery Of The Sword
by Illuminet
Summary: There are consequences to stealing a weapon of the Outrage set. Sol knew this. But he also knew that something had to be done to put an end to this damned war that plagued the world. He merely needed an answer.
1. Chapter 1

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 1: Knight and Night-walker

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

Note: It really just started as something to get the creative juices flowing, but I started to get more into it even though it really is pretty much Order-Sol's story mode from GGXXAC+ with just some added side bits here and there. So yes the main focus is nearly all on Sol. I've considered making it start with his story mode and lead up to the start of GGTML though I'm still debating it in my head since I've got another story I'm working on as well as real life to deal with. Regardless, I hope this is still enjoyable for readers, even if it is a bit short.

:xXx:

'Fucking war...' He wandered towards the remains of a train station. He had to get away from the Order HQ. Had to think without so many other Knights around and their own internal struggles. The train station had been the final destination where 13 platoons of Knights had boarded from half the world away in order to stage an assault against the Gear Messiah, Justice, after Intel claimed sightings of her in A-Country.

'This is my chance...I have to get to her...the Messiah.' The Knight wasn't sure why he had to, but had the nagging feeling that the fog of confusion surrounding his creation would come to light somehow if only he met her. In truth, the man called Sol Badguy had joined up with the Sacred Order of Knights for this reason. He wanted to find out about the Gears. About his own existence. There was nothing in it for him out any sense of patriotism, only his own selfish motives.

"I'm one of these bastards too..." He muttered to himself as he stepped over the carcass of a Gear amongst the wreckage. The locomotive had been impressively reinforced with metal plating but it had not been enough, considering the damage inflicted upon it by the Megadeth Gear that was laying dead on top of four cable cars of which it smashed. Seeing the massive Gear got Sol thinking of the reason it got there. The circumstances had been annoying, but the Knight would be damned to be trapped in a steel can being crushed like sardines.

Earlier that morning...

High noon, and only a wisp of clouds scattered the sky. The locomotive held the 13 platoon of Knights that would participate in the siege campaign to liberate A-Country from the Gear menace. The Sacred Order of Holy Knights, despite it's relative youth as a military organization of the Humans behind the Zeppian Empire and the near ancient Assassin Guild, had been making the most headway now during what many Humans were hoping would be the latter part of the war. To bring it to an end.

Despite the harsh rattling that would sometimes occur in bumpy areas of the tracks, the train met with no resistance so far and the Knights were glad about it. But that had changed instantly. Sol Badguy, Second Lieutenant and leader of the 13th Platoon Knight Raiders, had felt the tremors with his enhanced senses. He realized he was the only one to notice. He stood up and made his way to the back door of the cabin, theirs being the last one of the train.

"Sir Sol, what are you doing? We were ordered not to proceed through any doors until reaching the Volvania Station." It had been a female Knight sitting near the back, who saw his hand go for the door indent. She was just a Private and newly appointed as part of Sol's platoon. Sol spared her no glance.

"Find the boy and let him know a Megadeth Gear's coming for the train. Be ready for an assault up ahead too." He said as her hand went to his shoulder but he shrugged her off and opened the door to the outside. He used fire magic to weld the door shut so he could have no assistance. He then hopped up to the ledge and flipped up to the roof. She was able to see what he was talking about the moment his hulking frame had been out of sight of the window. It made her run to find the head commander of the Knights aboard the train, Brigadier General Ky Kiske whom was referred to only by Sol as the Boy. The young man and Sol had many problems with one another, due to Sol's constant disrespect.

"Sir Ky! Megadeth Gear behind us! Sir Sol says to be ready for an assault ahead of us too!" She blurted out. Despite being only sixteen years old, Ky had ranked up quickly and performed amazingly upon the fields of battle as a skilled swordsman and tactician. Rumors had it that he may receive a treasure of the government as a reward from legendary Commander Kliff Undersn himself, in the form of the long sword of the Outrage set known as the Thunder Seal. Ky had ordered everyone to break and/or open the windows and ready a long range offensive both in front and behind the train.

"The Raiders are in the last cabin, are there any who can use long range spells?" Ky asked of her. The Knight Raiders were the most offensive oriented unit, and took their battles up close and personal. They were the forefront of the Knight's infantry, mostly knowing only potent close range magic and nothing else. They were commanded currently by Sol Badguy himself.

"Only about twelve or thirteen Raiders can. Sir Ky...Sir Sol exited the train and is on the roof." Her words made Ky's eyes widen considerably.

"What?" He growled out, making her take a step back in fear.

"He uh...sealed the door shut. I think...he wants to take on the Megadeth Gear." She blurted out before taking her leave. She was just passing orders and didn't want to feel Ky's incoming wrath.

"Dear lord..." Ky muttered under his breath, calming himself. Meanwhile, Sol was crouched low upon the roof of the train. His wild hair and uniform jacket was waving out frantically from the momentum and velocity of the train as it swept past the plains. The Megadeth Gear was a large reptilian monstrosity with large horns jutting from it's body. It ran towards the locomotive on all fours, clawed hands about in reach of the back cabin. It noticed Sol upon the train, and reached with it's right hand towards him. Sol leaped towards the outstretched appendage, grabbing hold of one large thumb. Before the Megadeth Gear could crush Sol in his fist, Sol slammed his cleaver shaped blade into the digits of the first and middle finger with enough force to break them.

"RAAHHH!" The Megadeth Gear's fingers were bent in unnatural angles, and it tried to throw the Knight away, but he would have none of it. Sol rushed along the forearm. Hopping onto the head, the Knight slammed the blunt flat of his wide blade into the left side of it's face. Several rows of teeth were cracked apart while others went flying free. He caught onto the large horn on it's forehead with his free hand to keep himself on the massive Gear. It veered off the course of the tracks, heading for the mountains, shaking it's head about violently in an attempt to send Sol flying. It tried to grasp Sol with it's remaining good fingers. The Knight evaded, but not without receiving a few deep cuts to the ends of his long coat. About ready to simply end it by thrusting his blade into the Gear's spinal column, Sol was left with a nasty surprise as the long prong end tail of his foe caught him cleanly in the ribs.

"Fuck." The Knight uttered out as blood left his throat. He was sent in front of the Gear's face and nearly eaten alive as it's jaws snapped down on him with the remaining good teeth on the right side of it's face. The Megadeth Gear growled, realizing the Knight's strength was beyond normal. Sol received some cuts on his fore limbs from the teeth, but was miraculously keeping the jaws pried open with but one arm and his feet. It's rank breathing was making Sol's gag reflex kick in, but he retained focus. With an upward swipe of his crushing blade, Sol sent the tip of the Megadeth Gear's horn flying in the air. The pain caused it to loosen it's jaws enough to free the Knight. He hopped back up to the remaining stub of it's horn, aiming the hilt of his weapon and one solid yellow eye. Flames erupted from it like a gun, burning and blasting the soft tissue black. The roar it let out was enough to hurt Sol's ears. Half blinded, it collided with a mountain and sent Sol flying, cracking the face of a jutted rock and making it topple over. Both Knight and Gear groaned.

'Shit...damn near cracked every bone in my ribcage and spine. Gotta up the healing factor then.' As he was alone from the other Knights, Sol let his Gear abilities come forth stronger than usual. Though the limiter device on his forehead kept his Human form and suppressed much power, Sol had enough control to draw and increase certain abilities if needed. And right now, he needed to be up and moving. He rolled out of the way as one massive hand tried to crush him. This caused rock and sand to burst free and form a dust cover and Sol used it to get towards the Gear's blind side. He left vicious cuts in it's arms as he swung his blade, weakening it's mobility. It ran off feral instinct, it's tail swinging with precision, and had Sol been not so well attuned at the moment himself due to his Gear abilities he would have suffered a dislocated shoulder or worse.

'Still not doing enough damage. It's got a pretty tough hide. The soft underbelly is my answer.' Sol noted and began to form an idea. He charged his magic, dissipating his cover as flames shot out from underneath him. The Megadeth Gear caught sight of him with it's remaining eye and swiped with razor sharp claws. Sol went to his knees before sliding forward, body just shy of touching the ground save for the tip of his sword which cut a jagged line of flame underneath him. Pillars of fire burst upwards and pierce soft flesh. Once. Twice. Three times. The Megadeth Gear gurgled blood, dripping with that and saliva from it's gaping maw. Even having been punctured by the spear shaped flames, it still stood. The tail went whipping at Sol, who had to hop back to avoid a knock to his cranium.

"Come on, you asshole!" The Knight hollered as he ran through the mountains. The Megadeth Gear was still quite mobile as Sol believed. Sol was charging his magic energies again, rushing and weaving out of the Megadeth Gear's ferocious blows. Sol found himself trapped upon a cliff, overlooking the Volvania Station. The glass dome shimmered brightly with the sunlight glaring off it's smooth surface.

'Look's like they made it...' Sol turned to see the giant Gear barring his way out. Green light filled it's mouth, warning Sol that it was about to unleash a laser breath attack. It reared it's head back. Sol rushed up to it as it's head came forward, twisting his body about and sending his blade to slap the Gear in the cheek with enough force to veer the blast away, letting the green trail fade in the sky. Sol hopped away, near the edge of the cliff to avoid it's snapping jaws as the aggravated Gear continued to stew in frustration. Even though weakened, it was not going to let the Knight live and reared itself upon it's hind legs.

"Son of a...!" Sol knew he would be crushed under some eighty billion tons of muscle and sinew if he didn't act. Having charged up and feeling his attack would be strong enough, jammed his blade into the ground. A tornado of flame whipped up underneath him, the force enough to make the Gear to ascend from it's descent upon him. It still wasn't enough, and the Megadeth Gear fell forward again. The glazed over eye was enough for Sol to know it was pretty much at it's last breath. Crouching low, Sol's coiled body sprung up and rocketed skyward with an impressive leap, leaving him with enough air time to let the Gear fall and allowing him to land safely on it's back. Things weren't so easy as rocks began to crumble.

"Fuck." Sol ran to the path of the mountain again to avoid the collapse of the cliff and the Megadeth Gear. He realized that it was going to fall on the train station, more specifically the train itself.

"Shit!" Sol had already shut down his Gear abilities and hadn't expected the Gear's tail to suddenly move during his mad rush by it, catching him cleanly around his upper body and pinning his arms. The strong appendage held as Sol flexed to try and get enough leeway to escape.

"SON OF A BITCH!"

The Present...

"Annoying bastard..." Sol looked to the giant corpse a moment longer. He had fallen through the roof along with the Megadeth Gear, pretty much obliterating the train and the remains of the station. Luckily the station hadn't contained any of the Knights, who were busy fighting off Gears that were swarming outside of it. Regardless though, the amount of property damage was significant and the Knights had lost a good mobile link to the Order HQ of A-Country. Also about eighteen percent of their supplies was damaged or destroyed. Another train had been scheduled to come, but it would have to take another route to a further out station. He'd gotten quite an earful from the boy as well, though Kliff defused the anger and spite between them for a time and saying that some loss in war is unavoidable regardless. His senses alerted him to something, the rain falling harder now as if to tell of the hardships to come.

"Oh...it's you. Well now this is quite the sight for sore eyes." A man dressed in a fine olive color tuxedo and red cape over his shoulder came in view of the Knight. His slick hair and trimmed mustache and beard spoke of a refine grace and lifestyle of which the Knight was anything but. He adjusted the monocle upon his eye, a robust wooden pipe dangling from his lips.

"That's some costume you possess there." The man said.

"Shut up." Sol growled to him. Slayer was an immortal, having lived far longer than Sol had, or any other Gear for that matter. He was also the original founder of the Assassin's Guild, which had once been a far more noble organization but began to become more and more corrupt with each successive generation of leadership within the Guild. The use of Forbidden Beast Magic spells and rituals had propelled the organization as a contender against the Gears for a time before Zepp's full military might could be completely established or the Sacred Order itself. Slayer only chuckled at Sol's simplistic response.

"I can see your merely fighting in this war to get something. It must be quite the chore for one such as yourself. You were never really the sort to take orders." Smoke billowed from his pipe, unimpeded by the rain.

"Spit out your reason for being here old man. I ain't got all night." Sol growled.

"I was simply out for a stroll. Even though I do not mind the day, the night is much more of a comfort for one such as myself. That is neither here nor there, as it is not everyday I get to see you like this, much less in such a state. I believe a friendly spar is in order, so that we may be reacquainted." Slayer began to walk towards Sol again. The Knight did the same. Steady steps became a blur of motion as the two propelled at one another like bullets, fists collided with flame and energy dispersing about the two. Both skidded to a stop and rocketed towards another again, fully airborne this time. The hilt of Sol's weapon slammed into the steel like knuckles of Slayer's empty hand, the strike sounding like a clap of thunder. Sol and Slayer passed one another again, only Slayer vanished and reappeared to the Knight's back. Sol sent his blade into the wet dirt, grovel and bits of glass and metal flying all about as flames shot up at a slanted angle to pierce Slayer's face. Or would have, had he not done his vanishing trick again and now a few feet away from Sol.

"You fight quite ferociously. I can sense a lot of anger and distaste in your attacks. As well as your confusion. You believe you may find a key to your past if you meet with her, don't you? Yet you are still unsure." The Night-walker eyes seemed more solemn than they usually were. The old man usually had a jovial air about him even in serious situations. He was more attuned to Sol's mood than Sol would like to admit.

"So? So what? Leave the affairs of Humans to the Humans." Sol tensed after saying those words, knowing Slayer would capitalize on them. Which he did.

"And are you Human? Everything in your appearance suggests as such, much like myself..." Slayer vanished again as Sol's blade came forward, blowing debris every which way from the force the weapon's contact with the ground.

"I'm going to meet with Justice and put an end to this stupid war. If I find out of the person I was before the conversion then so be it." Sol growled as he pulled his blade free, now encrusted with mud and grime. He guarded a strike sent his way, body rattled by Slayer's strength though he held his stance despite the shaking in his arm.

"She holds no control over you. You will be treated as any other Human who crosses her path. A battle would be unavoidable. Can you really hold out against her? She is the superior creation compared to yourself, being the precursor to her own birth. Commander Undersn has battled with her over ten times in both youth and old age. You really don't have a clue as to what your getting into. But he recruited you personally. Because he sees something in you that you yourself don't yet." Slayer sent another fist for Sol to guard. It was like trying to halt a freight train. Sol went skidding back, but his stance held.

"Believe what you want old man. Even in this fucking organization and their stupid way of dress, I don't fight for anything but myself." Sol responded, twisting his large sword to parry another of Slayer's vicious strikes and catching the immortal in the shoulder and pushing him off balance. Capitalizing, the Knight swung wide and sent the blunt of his weapon into Slayer's ribs with enough force to crush an ordinary Human's ribs. Slayer took the attack with a grin. Sol was blinded as a black smokescreen surrounded him. He growled and dispersed it while charging his magic, only to be sent on his back with a heavy thud courtesy of Slayer's kick to the side of the head.

"You are too amusing. Yet so very interesting as well. Look at you, torn between two opposing sides and knowing nothing of your true wants or desires. You wish to know your past and yet you are also afraid of what you'll learn. My dear fellow, you must fight not only with the incredible strength you possess, but with a conviction unrivaled. Only then might you find that which you seek. And not the wants of the surface which you keep foolishly clawing at." Slayer shook his head at the fallen Knight. Sol was up on his feet quicker than expected, his canines elongated to fangs.

"I said to shut that fucking mouth!" Sol came forward, flames cascading about his blade and arm. He sent the blade forward as he punched, catching Slayer dead center in the chest. Even as the first explosion rocked the ground, a second one was already soon to come as Sol's free hand was balled into a tight fist. Flames spun about his arm even as it was sent forward, connecting solidly with Slayer's chest again.

"Get out of my sight!" Sol brought his sword to bear, combining his final explosion. A fiery figure slammed into the remains of one of the train cabins still partially intact. Sol breathed heavily, each intake making him calm down a little further. He knew Slayer was alive. It aggravated him, but he knew his limitations well. Knew Slayer would emerge from that now burning wreckage as alive as he was when he first entered to disturb the solstice the Knight sought but never could fully attain. Slayer was in front of him, his normal jovial state now solemn again, once fine clothes now shredded and burnt.

"Be well, my friend. Our little spar was entertaining, but now I must depart. If and when you meet Justice, try to keep yourself alive. I would like to meet again and see how your strength has been developing." Before Sol could retort to Slayer's words, the immortal slung his cape outward and disappeared amongst the folds before the cape also disappeared in a ball of fabric shortly after.

"This whole day is just one constant headache." Sol muttered. His back was stained with mud and dirt, though the rain was helping to clean it up slightly. Sol walked back to the base. He hated to admit it, but knew Slayer was right. Just because he was a Gear didn't mean he could treat a confrontation with Justice as just another fight. He hated to try his best, but knew sometimes it had the best results.

"Fuck..."

:ToBeContinued:


	2. Chapter 2

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 2: Long Chain and Big Blade

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

:xXx:

Sol could make out the silhouette of the Order HQ building in the distance. He only had a couple of miles more to walk on up to reach it and one rolling hill to bypass. Not a difficult trip.

'Who the...? This smell is familiar...' Sol narrowed his eyes as he saw a man simply wander on through the small trek of wasteland Sol was making his way past to reach Order HQ. A tall lanky man with long blond hair greeted the Knight.

"Oh it's you Chief." His bandanna provided only minimal protection from the rain, his gaze squinting to make out Sol within the rain fall.

"Why are you here?" Sol muttered, apparently too low for the man to hear. He really just wanted to rest his head after his fight with Slayer, but it seems as if fate wanted to put a few annoying obstacles in his way. The British raised Axl Low was someone whom which Sol had only a passing friendship with. They had similar tastes in music and were occasional drinking buddies. Axl was also drinking buddies with Slayer, or so the man claimed once. They tended to run into each other in some of the weirdest of times, and usually not the most convenient of times either. Axl had an amused look on his face upon looking at Sol's wear.

"Uh, Chief...what's up with that uniform? It's a bit too dressy for you, ya know?" Axl, being a victim of rather constant time slipping had never seen Sol dressed up as a Knight before today or this time period.

"Spare me that shit, Low. I ain't got the time." Sol growled , beginning to walk again. Axl tailed him for a bit.

"Ah, come on Chief, you know I'm just messing around. Well...it still does look like your wearing a costume. You were never really one to wear so much flowing things or that much white." Axl mentioned, tapping his cane about his shoulder.

"I said to piss off Low. One annoying blond kid is enough for today. Two just means you'll end up lying in the gutter. I ain't in the mood for drinks or games." Sol's grip upon the crude leather bound handle of his blade tightened, eliciting a light squeak from the frayed hide. Axl had an annoying smirk on his face.

"How bout a match? I win, we go get some drinks, you win, I leave you be, Chief." Axl said. Sol moved his neck from side to side.

"Ah hell, so be it." And without warning Sol's heavy blade swung out, almost catching the Brit in the chest.

"Whoa, time out!" Axl's pole shot out with chains, pole ends forming sickles. His chained scythes were swung clumsily at first since Sol had altered his balance when he tried to evade the rough attack. Axl hopped back a decent amount, shooting his weapon out with the precision Sol was more used to seeing of him. Sol swerved to the side, closing in as he stepped in wide.

"Whoa!" Axl hadn't gauged how long Sol's reach was with the cleaver shaped blade as it pierced the ground and sending a blast of fire that almost blew the blond off his feet. He hopped up diagonally, coming overhead of Sol, his chain shot down for the back of the Knight's head. Sol was as slippery as a snake though, sliding past as a spear shaped flame almost caught Axl from his air time. Even as he fell to the ground and readied his attack, sending his chains whirling through the air at the Knight. Sol smacked the bladed ends away, coming forward for his offensive. Axl was quick to react, striking the blade with his steel sickles to halt the weapon. Axl then flung his bandanna at Sol's face, and his attack to the back almost succeeded had Sol not anticipated and kicked out to the rear, sending Axl tumbling.

"Sheessh...your real aggressive, Chief. More so than usual..." Axl mumbled, having to hop away as the ground erupted with mud and debris thanks to the massive swing Sol took with his blade, seeming intent on cutting Axl in half. Sol tossed the bandanna off himself, Axl barely grabbing hold of it before it met with the muddy ground.

"Your the one who wanted a little match. Don't blame me if you bite more than you can chew." Again the blade was sailing at the blonde, who had to pocket his bandanna for the time being. Axl manipulated his chain to bypass the weapon, the sickle catching Sol in the cheek to leave a decent gash on his face. Axl gritted his teeth, pretty sure Sol cracked some ribs as the blade met his side. The tradeoff of attacks wasn't worth it. Sol only pressed forward, his empty fist catching Axl in the face cleanly, sending a tooth flying. Axl was able to duck under a spear kick, tripping Sol up as he spun and kicked the Knight's stationary leg out from under him. His chains whistled in the air, as he tried to slam them against Sol's falling body. He met no luck, Sol rolling away once his upper back hit the deck. Axl had been surprised by the sudden lunge Sol had made once his feet touched the ground, a flame covered arm flying at Axl. Unable to react in time, Axl was soundly countered by a hit to the chest with enough force to send him sloshing along the muddy ground. Sol jammed his blade into the ground, the explosion sending Axl airborne so the Knight could chase him through the air.

"Couldn't just let things be in a time of war...annoying punk!" Sol had already jumped, spinning about as he slashed Axl across the chest with the sharp edges he implemented in the end of his uniform's coat. Axl kicked off his body to increase the space between the two of them, freeing himself of the remainder of the cutting edge of Sol's coat. Sol grunted, twisting to send his blade to smack into Axl's body with it's blunt side. Axl's body was covered in spiraling flames as he flew upward to repel the attack. Axl then descended at a sharp angle as flames converged upon his crossed arms, to chase after Sol's falling form. Once the Knight's feet hit the ground, his knees followed swiftly as he crouched. Sol slid under Axl mere inches from being impacted by what would have been a heavy strike to his cranium. Sol stuck his blade into the ground to turn him about and face his opponent. He avoided the extended chain Axl shot forward as he lowered his stance and focused. A sphere shaped burst of light surrounded him briefly. It took a bit more concentration than his usual lazy self would like, but focusing to use his action charge was quicker than standard charging. Especially against a long range opponent.

"Got ya!" Axl sent his chains flying low this time, bating Sol to jump and descend upon the blonde with his fist reared back. Axl twisted about, sending his other chained sickle spinning like a buzz saw about his body. Sol was caught in the side, the curved blade stabbing into his flesh right below the rib cage. Sol grunted. Axl tore a bigger cut into Sol as he ripped his sickle free of the falling Knight. Axl then shot his chain out from behind his back, the blade cutting across Sol's bicep and shoulder blade. Sol spun to avoid the rest of the cut, hitting the ground on his back. The Knight's feet reacted quickly as his foot sweep Axl's out from underneath him. Sol then lifted himself bodily up, flames cascading about his blade, slamming Axl in the face with the hand-guard of his crude weapon while flames exploded outward with an impressive light that rivaled the flash of lightning. Axl hadn't let it lying down though, shooting a flaming chain of his own to explode against Sol's chest. Both combatants went sailing through the air in opposite directions of each other at the same time.

"Ow..." Axl uttered out. Both he and Sol had fallen on their backs, clothing and skin charred decently by the flames they discharged from their weapons upon impact with one another. Axl's shirt had now sported a large opening in his right shoulder, freeing the right sleeve to dangle loosely on his arm. Sol had a decent size hole in the front of his uniform where the red front of his vest and white of his coat had been blasted free, one of the top large golden buttons having fallen into the muddy dirt a few feet away. The fall on his back snapped one of the leather straps looped to his belt, as well as ripping a larger hole to the formally small cut to the back of his uniform. The Knight was on his feet quickly, Axl up as well though with more pain and less grace.

"Well...looks like we got some company." Sol muttered. The fight was still far away from Order HQ to catch sight of and the hill hid them well from view of any Knights on guard duty. A few Gears, possibly stragglers of the morning train raid if the small superficial wounds on them were any indication, had shown up. A strange mix of reptile and avian looking Gears with a bit of protective scales, they had some spears while one had a decent sized battle axe. Sol saw there was seven in all. Not keen on attacking the HQ directly with their small numbers, chancing upon the two Human combatants seemed a much easier ordeal to handle. Though it would not be the case.

"Ah well, was fun fighting you for a bit Chief. Sorry it had to be during the Crusades of all times. I'll help ya out with what time I got left." Axl could feel the swell of energy surrounding him, knowing a portal was going to open up and soon. Clashing with Sol or other powerful opponents could trigger his time slip to activate faster, he just hoped it didn't lead to any possible time loops.

"What are you babbling about...?" Sol had been distracted as the Gears charged him and Axl. The Brit sent his chains whipping out to catch some about the legs to trip them up. One Gear fully fell, and one chained end smashed cleanly through it's eye socket, killing it instantly. The second one to come at Axl had had it's jugular ripped out by a precise cut to the throat. It soon died as well, leaving the Last Gear to approach Axl with caution. Meanwhile Sol growled as he stepped forward, swinging with enough force to break the tips of the spears of the first two Gears to charge him. He then shot forward with his hilt aimed outward, the pommel providing explosive suppressive fire upon them as Sol rushed through to crush their heads with his wide sword. Sol then rushed at the other two in his line of vision, one being the axe equipped Gear. The spear equipped Gear thrust forward and quickly retracted, trying to prevent Sol from closing it. After dodging a couple more swipes, Sol slid under and bridged the gap, catching the Gear by the neck with his empty fist. Sol head butted the Gear brutally as his limiter caught the taller figure right in the mouth. The Gear went flying back, killed upon catching it's head against the axe of the last Gear in the area.

'Low...where did he go off to?' Sol had missed the flash of light as Axl had been dropped into a portal after killing his third Gear by breaking it's neck. Sol's small slowdown made the last Gear swing bodily with it's battle axe. Sol hopped away before his was nearly cut in half. Then Sol rushed the Gear as it swung too hard and got the axe caught deeply into the soft ground. It freed the weapon, almost catching Sol with the upward swing, but the Knight was already leaping at his face, his empty fist crashing into the Gear's face to expose it's chest wide open for the killing blow. Sol drove his blade into the Gear's chest, silencing the Gear for the last time. Sol freed his bloody weapon and groaned in annoyance.

"Waste of time..." He muttered as he looked at all the fallen carcasses. To be forever controlled by Justice to become mindless and unfeeling puppets most of the time, they had been dealt a fate Sol was glad he had no part of being. Sometimes he wonders just how immune he is though, his sleep every now and again filled with images of attacking Humans no matter if ordinary Civilian or Knight. He wondered if it were a possible collective of thoughts that these mindless Gears who fought just because she ordered it so, not because they had a choice. Shaking his head to free himself of the troublesome thoughts, Sol made his way back towards Orders HQ. Four Knights were posted on duty, a Fireman team consisting of usually two close range combatants, one long range, and a long range supplemental and/or runner who would alert other Knights should a Gear disable the alarm alert security system.

"Evening, Sir Sol...whoa, what happened?" One of the guards was a part of Sol's Knight Raiders and knew of his leader's appearance on sight.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Sol said tersely. Combined with fighting against Slayer and Axl, Sol was sure he looked fairly shitty at the moment.

"Right...well, some other Knights were looking for you. You missed the Promotion and Awards ceremony, where Sir Ky was presented with the Thunder Seal sword of the Outrage Set and ranked up to Major General. Not that you would care, knowing you. The other ones to try and locate you were some under Commander Kliff himself. I think he wants to see you." The Raider said. Sol nodded.

"Right." The Knight made his way where he knew he could find Kliff. With this Order HQ being a major tactical base and housing complex for the Knights, it's layout was meant to be very confusing to deter Gears from being able to navigate so easily should the outer walls be breached. The banners were color coded to allow Knights and only Knights to specifically navigate around. Sol already knew well how to get to Kliff's chambers. He'd only gotten a few halls in before he ended up running into none other than Ky Kiske himself.

"Sol..." Ky growled out. Sol took a quick look at Ky's waist, seeing the Thunder Seal sheathed away. Sol wasn't sure what it was, but seeing the Outrage up close gave him a pensive feeling. He wasn't sure why, but he was intimately knowledgeable about their creation and schematics. Much as he dreamed about possibly the thoughts of the very Gears he fought against, so too did he get vague images of blue prints and designs about the Outrage weapons, which as of current were considered property of the UN to some as well as national treasures in other areas around the world of which the UN held no physical claim to the weapons. Thunder Seal and another weapon, Fire Seal, were in direct jurisdiction of the Sacred Order of Holy Knights, meaning Kliff could pass them down to whomever without prior approval from the UN, hence why Ky now wielded the Thunder Seal only by verbal declaration to the UN when Kliff himself approved and saw fit to hand the very weapon to the young officer.

"Boy, I ain't got time for you. Outta the way, I'm meeting with the old man." Sol said. Ky's piercing gaze narrowed.

"That's Commander Kliff to you, Sol! It would seem you also disregarded my orders to remain on the base and not wander outside the premises! I know he was looking for you so I won't hold you up, but you WILL get a fresh uniform before meeting with Commander Kliff, understood?"

"Right. Whatever you say boyscout." Sol droned, clearly going to disregard Ky's orders as he usually does. Ky knew it too, already giving up Sol as a lost cause as far as being a respectable Knight of the Order. Rather than any further reprimand, Ky passed one final glare at Sol and was on his way. He had to meet up and plan for the attack with the Gears and attempt to trap Justice in about a day in a half, preparation deadlines cut in half since the train raid indicated she was already aware to an extent of the Order's plan. He had no further time to waste on Sol as it was just beating a dead horse over and over again. He left Sol be to continue through further until he came upon the twin heavy doors of iron, guarded by two sentries. Upon noticing Sol, and sparing awkward glances at the state of his attire as other Knights did earlier, both seen unwilling to let him in. Of course since Kliff was looking for him anyway, they really had little option but to grant him passage.

"You finally show up. Commander Kliff was looking for you for the past couple of hours or so. Hurry it up!" They opened the iron doors for him, closing them again once he was past them.

"Would it kill Sir Sol to show more respect for the uniform he wears? For the very organization he represents and works for? If not for his power, he would just be some no name bounty hunter like he was before Commander Kliff brought him in." Sol could hear the two behind the door due to his heightened senses even as they spoke just above a whisper to one another.

"It's the only thing that allows him to stay in the Order. Without it, he's just another poor bastard." The other said. Sol smirked as he made his way down the lavish hall with armor of Knights of the Middle Ages that loomed about like guardian charms.

'Right. It is the only thing I got, no thanks to my own fucked up existence...huh, to think, one of the very things they all despise happens to masquerade in the same clothing as them...no matter the physical appearance...a wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf. But exactly who am I betraying? Or rather...who am I not betraying? Even myself?' Sol hated overly thinking about how he came to be, mainly since he never had complete answers in that regard. For a hundred and fifty years and counting since he had become aware of himself as a Gear, he had tried to unearth what he could regarding Gears. All he had learned was that there were many well kept dark secrets surrounding the creation and purpose of Gears. Justice becoming aware of her own identity and existence and deciding to bring war and genocide to her Human creators and beyond hadn't helped matters. She had Gears destroy anything, even if related to Gears themselves, seeming to find such information as trivial. Or perhaps there was a tactical side at play, and she wanted to leave no record to show any major flaws or weakness Gears may have. Of course it was just speculation though.

'Well, let's see what the old bastard wanted. Though I think I can guess...' Sol went to the end of the hall where it would open to the Commander's personal training grounds. All bases for Order HQ had such places for a Commander to utilize mainly in times of relative ease from the war, and even train other Knights to hone their skills in physical combat further or gain advice and tips or other aid from more experienced Knights.

"Oh, you've finally returned, Sol. Where were you at by chance? I don't recall scheduling you for patrol duty today." Kliff was there at the center of the stone tiled arena structure in the center of the room, seeming to have been possibly meditating or some such thing. A small table lay to his side with an empty cup of what had probably been tea. He didn't looked phased at Sol's worn attire. Of course Sol didn't really expect him to be.

"You were looking for me earlier. What do you want?" Sol's voice and tone were curt and to the point. It was merely a part of his natural being. Sullen and unrefined, yet possessing so much raw power that it gained notice of the Commander who had gained a near legendary repute in all his near eighty years of service to halt the Gear menace and try and lighten the burden of the Crusades. The bloody war had lasted for nearly a hundred years already, and Kliff had left a large mark in history for having fought Justice so far fifteen times to a stand still, both physically and tactically. Sol had respect for the grizzled warrior, a rare feat. Many a time when Sol looked at the steel colored eyes of Kliff, he would be reminded of figments of what might have been his Human life before the conversion. Of a silver haired youth with those same steel eyes being attacked by Gears as they came to imprint the beginning of what would become their eventual blood stained lineage upon the world's history.

:ToBeContinued:


	3. Chapter 3

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 3: Old Man

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

:xXx:

"Sorry if I start rambling. Really, all I want is to have a nice spar with one of my men. It has been a long time..." Kliff's face became thoughtful, his wrinkles folding about on his face as he stroked his thick beard.

"Letting off some steam of fighting by more fighting? Not that I should be one to talk. I tend to do that too" Sol said. Not many realized that despite all the problems Sol had with the Order, him and Kliff tended to get along like clockwork. Kliff acknowledged him as equal in their private time, talking like old war buddies. Despite Sol's overall attitude with others, Kliff gave him quite a bit of leeway if only because Sol was a necessity in the Old Commander's eyes. Sometimes there was the twinge of guilt, knowing he had more or less forced Sol to join the Order against his will. He had just been far more committed to the brawl they had once Kliff located him within a seedy pub near the outskirts of England.

"We will need to be well rested by tomorrow, so let us get on with it. The Raiders will be needed in the front of the assault we are planning at an abandoned Gear Plant. Hit them fast and hard. If what Intelligence claims holds true, you will most likely get to see her, Sol. The Herald of Destruction." Kliff's words seem to bid Sol's body to full wakefulness, his gaze keener and sharper as they regard Kliff's own eyes.

"The Gear's Messiah...Justice" Sol muttered. Kliff hefted the Dragon Slayer, the weapon that had been used to slay so many Gears, across his shoulder. It was all the warning Sol got before the massive blade descended upon him with tremendous speed. Despite the weight and power behind that attack, Sol was still able to guard the blow with his sword single handed. But not without some effect. A small crack shown in the blade's edge, one of several already upon the thick metal. Sol's uniform ripped even further as the attack caused his muscles to flexed and bulged further, making the already tight parts of his uniform nearly burst at the seams.

Of course, Sol wasn't going to let his blade break near completely like the last time he had faced Kliff with it. At least not yet. He reared his empty fist back briefly, before punching into the flat of his blade with enough force to dislodge Dragon Slayer. It also left Kliff stunned, Trying to gain control of the rattling vibrations coursing about the whole blade through the metal. It had been at just the right time to regain control, though Kliff grunted as he strained with holding Sol's own power in check when the Knight brought his weapon bodily towards Kliff overhead. Kliff's own uniform ripped apart from guarding such an attack, his own muscles bulging from having to halt the more rectangular shaped weapon. The many scars accumulated from years and years of constant fighting in such a long term war shown upon Kliff's bare flesh. Sol's own were visible from his own bared flesh. The Raiders had no direct healers, as they were breaded strictly for an all offensive approach. Or at least had been in the beginning of the Order's initial run. Now the Raiders used healing potions, though they were definitely much less proficient and useful compared to a Human's actual spells that fueled greater outcomes due to their wills.

Sol hopped away upon seeing Kliff's glowing empty hand coming forward. Aiming his hilt forward, his pommel shot with a quick yet compact burst of flame to contend with the blast of ki energy the Commander sent outward. Though primarily a classified official Magic seen to be of second nature for Humans of full Asian heritage, it was a Magic that was not out of scope for the old European born Commander. Which meant that while nearly any average Human could learn any of the five original forms of Elemental Magic. That didn't mean it was always a good idea. It was hard enough to try and completely master even one of the Elemental Magics to their full potential if only due to the unending possibility of the energy Magic produced

Sol compacted his stance, his body flashing with light as he accumulated power from his action charge as Kliff was already about to swing his blade horizontally to smack Sol with the Dragon's Slayer's flat. Sol lithely dove under the swing, the fine sharpened edge of Dragon Slayer taking a few strands cut from his tail. He slid under Kliff like a serpent, getting in between stubby legs of the old Commander. Kliff used his blade as a vault to leap clear of the spiraling flames that pierced through the ground, putting some distance between the two. Sol had already closed the distance almost before Kliff could react, flames covering his empty palm as he glided just shy of the ground towards the old man.

"Whoa!" Kliff let out the surprised sound as he hefted the blade up in time to guard Sol's hand. He could do little more than guard the vicious downward swipe of Sol's weapon that had nearly enough strength to smack the Dragon Slayer right out of his hands. Kliff felt it and used the moment to send the long hilt colliding with Sol's head. Sol twisted, but not before he sent his fist into Kliff's jaw as well. Both combatants sailed through the air and landing on their backs hard. Sol upright himself with fluid grace as he sprung up again from a back flip, his boots digging into the marble floor firmly before he shot off toward Kliff again, who was still getting up. The Commander knew he had to stall the Knight, and swept the ground with the Dragon Slayer, forcing Sol to hop up to avoid it. The table that Kliff had used earlier was sent flying through the room cut in two, the remains exploding against one of the walls. The tea cup had floated upward before smashing into pieces on the floor. Sol had air dashed to close the distance his fist reeled back as he readied to give Kilff another punch to the face. Kliff had used the momentum of his own swing to bring him fully to his feet, his old body continuing to spin, and ready to send another swing up at Sol.

"Shit..." Sol muttered as Kliff waved his blade about in quick circular motions above himself and Sol had to slam his blade against the Dragon Slayer and push off it, the attack having been fairly weak since he couldn't throw more weight behind the attack from his previous shift in attacks. Once Kliff felt the impact he halted, rearing back with the giant sword. Sol knew he could be in a serious amount of hurt had he let Kliff continue with the mighty chop, but there wasn't much he could do to counter up close.

"HAAA!" Kliff swung the Dragon Slayer forward with tremendous might at the still airborne Knight. Sol merely waited as he fell back down towards the ground.

"Strum Viper!" Before the Dragon Slayer could connect, Sol retaliated as flames gathered underneath his still airborne body. With fire covering his knee, he slammed it into the side of the Dragon Slayer to throw off it's trajectory. The weapon slammed into the ground with enough force to rend the tiles apart. Sol was completing his back flip, kicking off the Dragon Slayer as Kliff swung it back upwards. Kliff thrust the blade towards Sol's retreating form, yet once again Sol didn't touch ground as he closed the distance through the air, his blade swinging down in an arc to try and catch Kliff in the face. The Commander hopped out of the way, but was too close to Sol now to attack with anything but the handle of his weapon, which he did so. Sol guarded the pommel with his own blade, empty hand grabbing a fistful of Kliff's jacket, lifting the old man from the ground. Sol's arm fully extended as he reeled his head back as far as possible. Kliff went flying after his forehead met with the slab of metal strapped around Sol's forehead, bouncing twice along the ground before touching down on the ground with his feet.

"That got me pretty good..." Kliff was shaking his head to clear the haze that fogged his brain. Sol moved his neck from side to side to work out the kinks with audible popping sounds.

"Satisfied? Or you still want to go?" Sol asked. Kliff wanted to continue the spar. Unfortunately, the spar was starting to turn into an actual fight, and Kliff could not risk further injury or fatigue on himself. Even given the quick display, Kliff could see that there was still so much power Sol seemed to be holding back.

"That will have to do for now. So much power and strength...sometime soon, I believe this war can finally come to an end." Kliff said in slow but even tones.

"Huh?" Sol muttered out. He pondered if Kliff knew about his living for the past couple of centuries. Sol dismissed the thought. He had carefully kept a low profile so others wouldn't realize just how long he actually had been alive. That's why despite being a good bounty hunter, he never allowed himself to excel further beyond the norms. Granted Kliff still selected him as the one he wanted in the Order, claiming that he had received word of a bounty hunter with nothing short of amazing skills in combat. Yet that was the extent of those claims, nothing more concrete, it brought Sol back into thinking that perhaps Kliff knew something about Sol better than Sol himself knew of his own person.

It had always been one of those irksome thoughts that crept in his head, and although he could have used the animal like instincts of his Gear side, he had a fairly hidden shown respect for the elderly despite his gruff tones towards them like he did with the younger generation. It was out of the fact that they had only a lingering moment of time to make something of their lives, and so few live to such an age that Kliff had attained. Sol wished he could feel that sense of mortality of just living life. To have lived as long as he had, so many aspects of life were so tedious and mundane now when once they had a certain glow about them. He used to sometimes wonder how Slayer was able to deal with such a feeling. Until he had caught sight of Slayer's wife Sharon.

She was not one of Slayer's ilk, Sol was aware of that. She had a strange power of her own of which could not be pinpointed, but it was clear that husband and wife lived only for one another, giving each other a form of normalcy in a world that was ever changing around them. Something Sol definitely lacked and could be a likely cause for his self destructive nature.

Sol knew he wasn't completely immune to death. Of that he was sure. He was sure a weapon of the Outrage set could kill him if he really wanted to finally take his life. But he still had one motivation in his unending life as of now. He may not be able to find out about himself, but he could still take out the Gears and hopefully Justice as well. He may have been traitor to both sides, but this was something he had made up in his mind years ago already. It was by Human hands that Gears were made after all, and Gears would be able to lead the world no better than the Humans.

"Think nothing of it, Sol. Just an old man's ramblings. Go ahead and get some rest. Don't worry about the training hall. I'll have someone fix it up tomorrow some time. There will be a brief no later than 0600 sharp." Kliff turned away from Sol, planning to retreat to his own quarters and tend to what would probably be a major headache. Sol decided to head out now and get what rest he could.

"Sir Sol? Have you met with Commander Kliff already?" A female Knight Raider intercepted Sol when he was coming upon the barracks, separating male and female as well as officer and enlisted. Males were the bigger of the two, considering it was quite rare for females to do much fighting in the front lines, or much fighting in general. So few women joined and became Knights to the Sacred Order.

"Yeah, what of it? I've already been told of the brief tomorrow at 6. Your one of my own, right? Get rested up. We'll be needed in the front, as usual. That's all I know." Sol said, sparing a small dismissive wave of his hand before he walked past her.

:xXx:

Officers Brief at 0600 the next day, current time 0542...

Sol had been napping near the back of the room. He was normally not one to come early, but having heard Kliff's words got him feeling more active than normal. He had woken nearly two hours prior to the showtime and had decided to calm his nerves a bit with about an hour spent working out and then the remainder getting dressed in a new uniform and resting his muscles some. As a Gear, he needed far less of a recovery time for his body compared to a Human's, so he could afford to workout on days where there could also be heavy action out on the field moments later. In fact, Sol often preferred it since the gym was guaranteed to be empty on those days for a base that was about to set out and deploy on a mission.

"Huh?" Ky could only stare wide eyed upon seeing Sol. He had expected Sol to be one of the last ones to arrive, yet not only was he here, he had been the first one.

"Why are you here so early...this is unlike you." Ky continued on. Sol sighed. It turned into a yawn.

"Not like it matters. So what if I'm here now rather than later." Sol spared no glance towards Ky, yawning again before slouching further in his seat. Ky wanted to retort but thought better of it as he could hear the footsteps of other Knights coming from just outside the room. Knowing now was not the time to be confrontational, Ky's face was a passive and professional mask once more as he made his way towards the front of the room to take a seat for himself. Soon the remaining other officers shown and took their seats. Most were gathered near the center and front. Only Sol occupied one of the desks in the back. It was Kliff who took his place at the podium at exactly 0600 on the dot. The display behind him shown the specs of the Gear plant. Upon gazing at the images that passed through the projected image, Sol's head started to pound.

'Stairway to Heaven...' Sol shook his head to clear his thoughts. Unfortunately Broken memories started coming up, distracting him. Being a Gear allowed Sol to record information through the use of his senses. This meant he could record visually through viewing with his eyes and audio could be recorded via his ears picking up on sound. Sol could also record memories as they surfaced as well, though only to an extent. It meant he could retain memory longer than the typical Human, however, sometimes recording memories have adverse effects on his emotions. So Sol disconnected his emotion capability and let his ears record the words Kliff was saying to the rest. As he wasn't one to show much emotion to others on a constant basis, outwardly his face shown no real change, but if anyone looked at him closely enough they would realize that it seemed as if Sol had stopped breathing all together. That his whole body was unmoving, abnormally so. The reason for this was that he could have better focus on the memory itself. Unfortunately, the images that passed through his head were merely of a darkened room with a projector showing similar images and a few people speaking, but he could not trace any voices nor could he see faces. It was aggravating to him when memories like these ones showed up in his head.

Flashback...

-VISUAL/AUDIO:OK(BROKEN)-

-SUBTITLES:ON(NORMAL)-

-CLARITY:LOW(UNABLE ADJUST)-

-DATE:AD 2012(UNABLE EXACT MOTH/DAY)-

-TIME:NOT FOUND-

-LOCATION:NOT FOUND-

VOICE 1(ID:Unable/Male): "This...the sign...the United States renewed power...ability to harness...unlimited potential energy...Gears came to be. The Government...given the OK...fully commit...GEAR PROJECT."

VOICE 2(ID:Unable/Male): "The Government...provide funding...new laboratory...great pleasure to unveil this..it's location...Ladies...Gentlemen...may have heard...Tower of Babel...solar energy plant originally used...far back...2007...before...discovery...Magic."

VOICE 1(ID:Unable/Male): "It is this very same location...new laboratory will be...Tower...Babel has already been converted...closing down in 2010 into...most sophisticated facility ...manufacturing... further study...Gears...We also hope...may be able...harness the technology...Gear...Conversion to further...own evolution...we may live...easier lives...has and will always be...core of...the GEAR PROJECT...my fellow colleagues...further...evolution...Humanity!"

SOUND: Applause

VOICE 3(ID:Unable/Female): "Thank...Ladies and Gentleman..present...you ...new work facility! The Stairway to Heaven!"

SOUND: Applause

Present...

Sol jolted enough that his heavy sword tipped over, but thanks to superior reflexes, he caught it before it made a loud enough commotion. Luckily the desks were low enough and the fact Kliff was so short, he nor anyone else really noticed it or the small scraping sound it made as Kliff's voice droned it out.

UNABLE TO ACCESS FURTHER. SAVE RECORDING?

The letters were jagged upon Sol's vision. He gave the affirmative, rubbing his face. He opened his eyes again, now clear. It had been about half an hour, but Kliff already seemed to have wrapped things up.

"Are there any further questions for me?" The old Commander asked.

"No, Sir!" Was the overall response. Kliff gave a nod.

"Very well. Like I said, the mission kicks off at 1000. That's when I expect all units to be assembled and marched off into the field. Let your units know of the strategy. Dismissed." Kliff gave a wave of his hand and departed, the Knights following suit.

'No doubt about it...I've heard of this Stairway to Heaven. Yeah...Scientists all over what was once the United States who put their whole focus on the study of Magic and the technology behind it and the creation of the Gears...damn.' Sol had checked briefly to make sure he had Kliff's audio. Since he did, he made his way towards his unit, though his mind was elsewhere, thinking about the memory that came unbidden upon seeing the map of what had once been the largest Gear plant in existence.

Sol knew it was the place Justice had destroyed to escape from. Sol himself knew it was the place he must have escaped from as well, though it was annoying that he didn't know exactly how he escaped from there. Sol had already deduced long ago that the reason for his large memory loss was due to the Gear Conversion. He had read up on any article he could find regarding Gears and had once come upon the fact that despite their appearance, Gears are still at their core based off the creatures they are converted from. However, no matter the species or that it might have been beast or Human, all that go under the Gear Conversion lose everything as far as their emotional and mental states. For animals it meant an absolute purge of even their most barest survival instinct, for Humans this included one's own free will.

'My first conscious thoughts were waking up nearly a hundred and fifty years ago far away in the mountains of A-Country. Though I had knowledge of the current times I also knew of information and skills as far back as about the early and mid 1980s. But I got my love for such bands like Queen from way back in the 1960's...Not that I can really complain when some of that culture grew on me. Heck, I got that CD player of mine with the Sheer Heart Attack album in it. Good thing no one knows about that piece of Black Tech. Hell, or even the fact that I was able to convert the CD player to work off Magic energy rather than batteries. Anyway... I just know...I was somehow involved in the Gear Project as more than just a fucking guinea pig. Was I one of the scientists involved? Did I volunteer for it? I am the Prototype after all...this is all just one big headache.' Sol grasped the side of his head, trying to ease the pain he was feeling in there. One of his Raiders saw him, but he gave a dismissive wave to him.

"I need a fucking cigarette..." Sol growled lowly. Really, was it so hard to ask for a simple life?

:ToBeContinued:


	4. Chapter 4

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 4: War Cry

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

:xXx:

"There's expected to be heavy resistance at the Stairway to Heaven. The Raiders will split into two groups. The main objective is to provide a distraction so the main body of the remaining forces can flank the building from the west side and surround it. Being that it has the most difficult terrain to move around, Old man Kliff heard from some scouts that the Gears have only lightly fortified it since it already provides a natural defense, so the Gears will likely not expect it. The two groups of Raiders will take the front and the back, and our forces will be a bit light since we want to come across as a foot patrol to their own patrol. We will get the bulk of the fighting for maybe about ten or so minutes before the main force gets over the mountain range and divides up, one to reinforce us while the other seeks out Justice on the premises." Sol explained the plan to his platoon. Inwardly he wasn't really fond of it, since it meant he would probably be one of the last ones in on seeing Justice physically face to face. Still, if the Order could apprehend Justice and lock her away, Sol could question her then too. Guess there was only one way to find out.

"So we are basically going to take the brunt of their forces for a bit and take them out with a pincer attack with the main force at their backs?" One Knight questioned. Sol nodded.

"Yeah. Their goal is to try and trap Justice and cut off any escape that they can. I've already divided the groups. My team will consist of the left side of the room. We will attack from the front, the right side will attack from the back. I don't care whose in charge, one of the vets can figure that out amongst themselves. There will be a buggy to move you all to the rear of the Gear Plant, and once at the point you'll go by foot. My team will be hoofing it from the Order HQ since we will have a much shorter distance to cover. We will leave in about 20 minutes, the other team will start moving to the buggy now for departure since you'll have a lot of ground to transverse. Any questions you take to the Scribe as usual. That's all, move out." Sol ordered before swiftly turning away. His sword was slung over his shoulder. While most of the Raiders carried a satchel of healing potions, Sol had a small pouch with only four vials. He was the strongest amongst his platoon, every Knight was aware of it. He hit the hardest and was hit the most but he kept moving like a tank through the opposition. Though most Knights disliked him as a whole, his own platoon held respect for him because they knew personally of his strength, and that he played no favoritism. He'd do his job, you just do yours, and if you couldn't then your dead or you better just shut up and get the fuck outta the way.

:xXx:

As Kliff had said in his brief, the Raiders would come off as just a random foot patrol getting too close to the Plant. It did at that. Sol and his Knights had already gotten ambushed by one of the Gears own foot patrol but had decimated them. A runner got free as planned and alerted a bigger force to swarm the patrol. Weapons clashed and sparked.

"Fuckers." Sol muttered. He twisted about at the head of his patrol, cutting down some patchy fur covered Gears with thick clubs of iron. Others followed, their weapons slammed into his sword, but they didn't expect him to bodily hurl them off balance before hacking them in two. The sound of death cries and grunting mingled with the slamming of weapons into one another. Sol blasted a large swath in the Gear's ranks with spiraling flame bursting free from the ground, charring all Gears it touched black. He let the rest of his Knights handle the small fry as one larger than average Gear came into his view. It had probably been a gorilla in it's former life, fists now covered in steel grates with barbed wire. It sent a fist at Sol, who hopped out of the way before swinging his sword forward. It guarded with it's other fist. It tried to counter, but Sol sailed under it's outstretched hand and aimed his pommel point blank to it's face. It's head exploded once fire sparked free from Sol's weapon and the Gear fell with s sickening thud.

"Just a punk..." He crushed some more Gears under the wide flat of his blade when they tried tackling him to the ground.

"Megadeth Gear!" A shout diverted Sol's attention for a split second and he saw just in time as a rock twice his size was sent flying at him. The Gears expected him to be crushed, staring in awe when he caught it, though there was quite a bit of effort on Sol's part as he went skidding back. Even his Knights were growing fearful, but Sol halted the boulder just shy of reaching them. A mighty growl erupted from Sol's throat as he tore the boulder off the ground and hurled it at the remaining Gears ground level. He glared at the top of the mountains where the rock covered Megadeth Gear growled in frustration. Sol grunted.

"Handle things down here, I'm going ahead!" Sol claimed after pointing to one of the veteran Knights under his charge. He only got sight of the slight nod from the Knight before he started tearing up towards the Mountain. The Megadeth Gear tossed another boulder toward his Knights, but Sol took an impressive leap and smacked it out of the air with his sword. It's trajectory was tossed towards some other grounded Gears.

"Come on, you fuck!" Sol yelled out. The Megadeth Gear now had Sol in it's sight and roared, sending a hail of sharp stones from it's enormous maw. Sol kept his weapon up, pushing through the many projectiles coming his way. He swung his blade upon seeing the Megadeth Gear catch it's breath. It tried to swipe Sol's head off, but he had simply hopped over it. His blade cut into the stone armor that made up most of the Megadeth Gear's skin. He was able to make a decent strike to the Megadeth Gear's forearm, sending rocks and blood flying. The Megadeth Gear howled in pain, but it soon became an ear splitting roar that disoriented Sol.

"Shit..." He groaned out, the ringing in his ears making him lose balance. Only superb reflexes came to his aid as he twisted out of being crushed under one giant foot. He took a glancing blow from one of it's elbows which cut a decent hole in the front of his vest, retaliating with a vicious swing that sent it's head reeling back as it tried to take a bite out of him. Sol hopped into it's face, cutting at the neck where an opening had presented itself. Before the massive Gear could regain it's senses,Sol twisted and slammed a flame covered foot into the same exact spot, crushing the left side of it's throat. It's breathing came out haggardly, but it didn't let up, claws raking the ground as it sent a shower of rocks towards Sol. His sword protected from the brunt of the attack, though his arms got a few gashes and the coat ends were filled with decent sized holes where rocks cut through the tough fabric. Sol noticed it rearing it's head back, going to try and disorient him with another roar.

"Not this time!" Sol twisted and thrust his blade with enough force to pierce the thick plate of it's chest. He opened the wound further as he viciously twisted his crude weapon to open it up. The Megadeth Gear sagged downward, it's healing ability not kicking in fast enough from the damage sustained. Sol came forward and crushed it's head under his blade when the massive Gear tried to get up fully again. It died before it hit the ground.

"Sir Sol!" His Knights called out to him. Sol's attention was diverted towards the massive army of Gears starting to make their way towards the small platoon. Sol grumbled in annoyance. Luckily though, the Cavalry had arrived. Kliff and Ky led from the front, taking on the Gears at the back who had not even expected the Order's tactic.

"Guess we held out long enough." Sol muttered, aiming his sword towards The Gear army. His Knights followed him as they went to fight and regroup with the main force.

:xXx:

The Stairways To Heaven...

Sol, Ky, and Kliff were the only ones left from the decent sized unit of Knights they had extracted from the main force. Each was covered in grime and blood, their uniforms marred with several holes and cuts from the long ascent. None got a decent breather until now, and luckily they hadn't run into any further Gears. There were still a long way from the top however. The basement to the facility was accessible only through the sewers since almost all of what had been a part of the original outer stairways and where the main entrance had been located had collapsed some fifty years ago, barring more direct access. The floors were actually more like connected platforms with open areas on all sides, only a thin and rusted guard rail as a safety to prevent someone from falling over. They had met heavy resistance but had made their way to and along the cavernous basement, killing off many of the awake Gears and Gears still in stasis.

"We destroyed all the Gear containment cells thus far, so their should be little to no more reinforcements. The battle is going well, Commander Kliff. I think this may be the day we finally can apprehend Justice!" Ky's eyes showed his intensity to reach the top as soon as possible. The actions mirrored Sol's thoughts, though his face was as stoic as ever.

'If she really is here, then...there are so many familiar sights in here too...it's fucking giving me a damn headache. The memories are vague, but I know...I had been running through these very rooms, seeking a way out. An escape...' Sol's thoughts had been interrupted as Kliff words reached him.

"Both of you be careful...Justice is a fierce opponent. Very few things can truly harm her. A weapon of the Outrage set is one of the few that have the power to pierce her thick armor, and even then the damage is still small at best." Kliff advised of them. Ky was the only one with an Outrage weapon. Kliff's experience against Justice in the past was as much a weapon as the mighty Dragon Slayer. Sol wasn't sure how he stacked up in Gear terms when compared with Justice, but he'd be damned if he missed this chance to meet the Messiah of the Gears.

"Sheesh...seven basement floors...at least we can see the exit to go up." Sol said as he was the first to see the main door leading up to solid ground rather than the mess of platforms that made up the basement area. He stopped abruptly however.

"Huh? Why did you stop?" Ky asked him. He knew Sol's senses were keener than most, and as they were still deep in enemy territory, they had only each other to depend on.

"Shhh..." Sol held a hand for them to be silent. His eyes moved about the dark corridor, head slowly turning around.

'Someone's here...someone strong...' Sol brought his blade up, barely blocking a large iron sickle. His foot shot out to intercept the foot of his assailant. Sol's empty fist came blasting forward to try and knock the person's head off.

'Shit...a Humanoid Gear...' Was Sol's passing though as his fist was deflected by the twisting iron scythe that was in the hands of a wiry and paled skinned Gear garbed in all black just about. Sol had gotten a small glance at the emblem marked on his chest before it was hidden under the black leather that fell back upon his chest in their small but escalating tussle as they deflected one another of their attacks. Sol did a back flip to put some space between the two of them. Sol's eyes narrowed, as did the Gear's. Sol recognized his face. He had seen it once, on a picture in one of Kliff's office on a base in Germany.

"Your...Tesu! My son!" Kliff's face had gone ashen upon seeing the pale man whose face remained stoic.

"Tesu...? You are mistaken, Human. I am Testament. The right hand of almighty Justice, who shall purge all the Humans of this disfigured world." The scythe was twirled about expertly, the blade now skyward. The glowing eyes of Testament became brighter, a ghost of a smirk on his face.

"No...you are my son. Adopted yes, but still, our bond was what made us true family. Tesu...please step down." Kliff spoke up, starting to move towards the Gear. The Dragon Slayer was held defensively, for deep down, Kliff knew that there was likely little to no chance he could talk Testament into doing otherwise. The conversion left Testament at the control of Justice and it was likely his son was truly gone.

"You...you are the commander of the Knights...your face..." Testament's became more vacant, seeming to recall something as he looked at Kliff. The Gear shook his head, ridding himself of his own creeping thoughts of familiarity. His scythe swung forward fiercely, and Kliff took action as well by slamming his blade against the Gear's.

"I'm sorry...if this is how it must be...I must do at least one thing right.." Kliff stubbornly growled.

"Ky! Sol! Go further, I will be with you again soon!" The grizzled warrior demanded. Testament laughed.

"That won't happen! You filth will all meet your end by my scythe!" Testament summoned crimson constructs that tore through the ground by Sol and Ky's feet. The two evaded by hopping out of the way of their gaping maws. Ky twisted around, hacking their jaws apart with the Thunder Seal.

"Hurry and go!" Kliff warned, cutting a deep swath into the ground with the massive Dragon Slayer. Sol and Ky's route would now be impeded to reach the old commander. Testament had many tricks however, summoning centipede like creatures that bridged the gap with their bodies. The cut jagged paths in the ground, ready to get to the two Knights. Ky was able to cut one in half as it jumped up and tried to drill a hole in his chest. The other one played mean jab is it tore through the ground in a circular fashion, making Sol trip as the ground gave way. He caught the side of the hole to remain on the level of ground still available to him, but it was for naught when the centipede drilled through the ground in an attempt to pierce through Sol's throat. He guarded against the attack but it caused him to let go of the ledge.

"You asshole!" Sol went to a free fall, but was at least able to kill the centipede by swiftly using his free arm to grasp around it's head and crush it in his fist.

"SOL!" He could hear Ky's voice echo off the walls but it was no use, Sol was falling down the sides of seven basement floors. Ky may have not held pleasant memories of Sol, but even he could respect at least the power Sol possessed. Grumbling to himself for not having been more attentive and fleeing from Testament sooner to pursue Justice, Ky stood up once more, sparing one further glance to Kliff before making his way up towards the first floor of the building. Meanwhile, Sol had fallen to about the third basement floor before deciding he needed to make his way up the easiest way he could. Loosening the straps that bound the slab of metal to his forehead, Sol removed it an unleashed a large amount of his Gear nature, his form becoming engulfed in darkness as two large wings and a tail sprouted from his back and punctured his clothing.

"Here goes...!" Sol's massive claws caught hold of the side of the basement walls, then busted straight through stone, rock and dirt. He burst free of the ground and ascended like a blur, not stopping until he flew all the way up to the lowest hanging batch of stairs that still made up the outer area of the Stairway. How far he went he wasn't sure, but he halted the transformation as best he could before succumbing fully to his Gear nature by clamping his limiter back upon his head. His body hit the stairs at an odd angle and he groaned before taking deep breaths to steady his nerves as they gained normal Human levels once more. His strength was fast approaching tolerable levels again thanks to his Gear side. Sol fastened the belts of his limiter about his head before standing up slowly. His wide blade slid off his back, but he caught it before it could fall off completely to the ground several stories below. Sol peered over the edge of the stairs, glad for the wide radius the Knights had to remain away from the large structure so that none would be able to get any kind of good view of him from their location. He would be able to maintain his secret as a Gear.

"It's gonna rain again, eh? Great, just my luck." Sol muttered, smelling it in the air. Deciding not to dwell on it he started to rush up the stairs, hoping to reach the top.

'Wait for me Justice. I'll beat you down!' Sol's speed picked up, skipping steps with his long strides. The rain began to come down, though it was but a drizzle for now. Sol's large blade didn't slow him down in the slightest. The winding stairway had to be tread more carefully the higher Sol climbed, due to the state and ware of the building as a whole. Still, Sol made his way up to the top with ease. It was only when he neared it did his pace slow. He was not winded hardly at all, he merely wanted to be careful of any sneak attacks.

'Just one more set of stairs...' Sol saw a a branching point that lead even higher. The other part had fallen completely off.

"Must have once been an area to monitor and repair solar panels and the like back when this was the Tower of Babel." Sol pondered aloud. He made his way up all the way to the next floor. The rain was coming down much harder, but Sol was unfazed by it. Up further he saw floating crystal like formations among vaguely human like statues that looked like they belonged in the Roman Colosseum.

They were Gears that had died from lack of nutrients. Many were animals though quite distorted from the conversion, and thus probably predated his own birth when the Gear Conversion was first tested on animals. He may have been the Prototype, but that was for humanoid Gears, that would eventually spawn such beings like Justice and Testament. He saw a glint of something shiny on the other side of the open floor he came upon. His eyes also made out the flow of red hair. It sent him on edge, eyes narrowed and guarded. He rushed closer to ensure his eyes were not playing tricks on him, and surely they did not. Her back was to him.

"...I've finally found you!" Sol's grip on his large sword became even tighter. Justice turned her head to peer at the one who would come here to meet her. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't in awe of she who was made to become the first Commander Gear to ever be created thus far. The one Gear who could control all others of her own free will from when she had gained self awareness several years ago. The Messiah of Gears was who he now stood before, in all her shining glory. The Herald of Destruction. Type-01, Justice.

:ToBeContinued:


	5. Chapter 5

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 5: An Outrage

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

:xXx:

"Hmm...your the only one here to meet me?You do know that very few even dare to challenge me one on one, lone Knight." Justice turned to fully face Sol. Something about her appearance aggravated him. He started to see snips of memories he didn't really understand cloud his vision. He gritted his teeth tightly together, willing them away for now. Still, his body felt heavy from grief and regret for some reason. Guilt most likely. Snapping out of it, he made his way a little closer to her.

"I could care less. I'll rip off all that armor to kill you if that's what it takes!" Sol bared his large weapon, waiting for Justice to make a move. Her shoulders shook as she chuckled in amusement.

"How barbaric of you. It would seem you have quite a bit of faith in yourself if you can say such things. You have a lot of spirit, Human, so go ahead...try your best. Do all you can, but it will only amuse me further once I've broken that spirit!" Justice laughed harder. Sol's eyes narrowed.

"Think what you want, bitch! It'll be you that's left broken!" Sol lunged at her, feet leaving the ground as he reared his blade back. It smacked soundly against Justice's metal arms as she defended, the force behind his attack was pushing her back, but not breaking her guard. Her eyes shown with sadistic glee. Sol growled as he landed, surprising her by a quick step around as his blade plunged into the ground between her legs and sent a blast of fire up from the ground to send her off her feet. She met face first with the ground, but brought herself up quickly as he rushed at her again. One flame covered knee came forward as he leaped into the air again as he tried to strike her face. It was not to be as she stepped back and swung out with one arm, her hand elongated to form a black blade that cut through the air and sent a beam of light outward in a large radius. Sol was cut into his stomach from the attack, spinning 360 degrees through the air before landing roughly on his own face. He got up slowly, bringing one arm to his face to wipe some blood that fell from the corner of his mouth with his black sleeve. He stood back up to full height, a decent cut from her attack having left a large cut in his torso and a part of his hip.

"Interesting...your body is quite resilient. Not many can survive against the power of the Michael Sword without having defended to buffer the damage." Justice admitted, crossing her arms in thought. That Sol could still stand after taking a direct hit spoke volumes to her. He had a decent amount of power to be sure. She would have to test the extents of it, at least for a time. Sol brought his empty arm outward. He gave her the thumbs down gesture.

"An annoying little attack such as that won't be enough." Sol brought his arm back before once more swinging his blade at her, but her claws intercepted the large and crudely made weapon, digging into the corner of it. Sol tried to pry the grip she held free, but Justice would not let go. Her tail lashed out for his extended arm, but Sol caught it in his empty hand before the needle like end of it could pierce into his sword arm. Acting quickly, Sol ripped the blade free by breaking the corner off so that she just had a useless piece of metal in her hand. He swung down on her extended tail, catching it cleanly. However, his weapon did not leave any real damage save for a small scrape on it's surface despite the force he put behind it.

'Shit! Her armor really is something else like the old man said...' He thought to himself. Justice whipped her tail back towards her person, hauling Sol towards her. Letting go of her tail, Sol guarded as her claws plunged into his barred blade. Sol growled as he sent both feet slamming into her face and shoving her back. Sol's blade was left with ten arcing holes right through it from each of her clawed fingers. He was rushing her almost instantly though, hopping over her crouched form as her extended leg formed a talon to try and trip him up. His blade came down on one massive shoulder pad to unbalance her before his hand shot up to snatch at her face. He bodily came forward and slammed her into the ground on her back. Exposing her gaping chest cavity, his blade was already plunging into it.

"What the fuck...!" Sol's blade was there but did not pierce through as he had expected it to, and he had put more than average power into that strike. Justice's eyes flared red before lasers burst free to strike Sol in the chest. His proximity didn't allow him to fully evade and he was struck in the shoulder instead and blowing a decent portion of the top of his coat off. The force behind the attack knocked him through the air a few feet away from Justice. He skidded to a halt as his feet touched ground. Justice was already upon him, his warning only being the whir of the thrusters at her back propelling her towards him at tremendous speeds. He dove low as his blade cut into the ground during his slide under Justice's tackle.

"Gun Blaze!" A spear shaped flame caught her in the back and sent her skyward. Sol was already rushing towards her falling form, swinging his blade to catch her back again and keep her aloft. He took an impressive leap as he swung his coat end to graze into her torso. Spinning fully to build momentum, he released his coat and sent his fist crashing soundly in her face. Grabbing hold of her exposed neck, Sol brought his blade forward to slam into her chest again, hoping to crack something on her armor to capitalize on, but only succeeded in a few small scrapes. Justice caught him in a bear hug, twisting him in her hold before she was able to get on top of him, her bladed knees digging painfully into his ribs. She brought him back down to solid ground with enough force to leave jagged cracks along the surface. Sol coughed up blood from the weight Justice applied on him in their descent to the ground, taking a few deep breaths to get his breathing back to normal. Justice had hopped a few paces away, observing Sol as he lay on his back unmoving save for his breathing.

"Well, that was a pretty impressive offensive you took to me, but it looks like your still having trouble damaging my armor. Don't you have any stronger tricks?" Justice's tone showed her amusement. She was sure he was at his limits already due to Human frailties, but he had surprised her upon standing up on his own two feet. He stood and faced her without the show of pain and fatigue he was displaying just a moment prior.

"What's wrong? We just started right? I'm barely even warmed up." Sol rotated his neck about to work out the kinks.

"Well now...an attack like that should have been more effective but you've taken it in stride quite nicely. Even if it's just bravado that keeps you standing, you've earned some respect from myself, dear Knight." Justice nodded at him. She stood still, waiting for him to make another move. Deciding to use her down time to his advantage, Sol roared and built his power through charging. The very foundation shook ever so slightly as flames coiled tightly around Sol's frame. He rushed at her, Justice seeming only somewhat wary of him. He crouched under one clawed hand as she swiped at him in a horizontal motion. He flung his empty hand forward, slamming into her stomach and igniting her in a trail of fire. He brought his sword to bare and slammed it against her shoulder with enough force to drop her towering frame lower so his fist came forward and clocked her in the face. The uppercut was strong enough to send her off her feet. He coiled his body inward as a ring of light flashed outward from his body.

The Action Charge complete, he sprung up at her falling body while swinging his sword down in a wide arc to cause her body to spin through the air so he could slam the hilt of his blade deep in her back. Flames erupted outward from the hilt, the explosion sending her crashing into one of the crystals that housed a dead Gear. The crystal had dislodged from the rest of the structure and fell off the side of the building. Justice, however, ricocheted right off the surface and was propelled back towards Sol as he rushed over to her with blade reared back. The ground cracked under the pressure of his weapon slamming Justice bodily into it. She was back up quicker than he expected as she pushed off the ground directly into a back flip with her tail lashing upward, catching him dead in the chest as the appendage whipped up electric sparks. The force sent him airborne. She formed the Michael Sword again and swung it out at him, landing a direct hit to his exposed back and sending him skidding across the ground. The thrusters at her back roared as she launched after him, slamming him with the force of a bullet train that sent him flying. He smashed into another crystal, his body cracking the surface. He remained stuck there, his head bowed low. Justice pondered if she had sent him into unconsciousness as he remained unmoving, the crystal breaking away from the structure to fall over the side of the building with him still in it. He surprised her though as he jumped free of the crystal and landed back onto the platform to face her again.

"Hmm...I can see that my attacks aren't as damaging to you as I thought they might be. The old Commander of your faction has found quite a capable warrior. Perhaps you are his successor?" She took a pause to observe Sol.

"Who cares?" Sol ran back in. Justice shrugged. She could afford to play a bit longer. His blade dug into the ground as he halted a few feet shy of fully reaching her, sending a trail of flames ripping through the ground to meet her. She defended, impressed as the flames pushed her back slightly, her stiletto shaped feet digging into the ground to keep her rooted. Sol was already through the haze and slamming his weapon into her. She retaliated by slashing her claws against the surface of his weapon to leave deep jagged streaks in the metal as sparks flew free. Despite it's size and weight, Sol handled his blade expertly even with one hand. Justice was meeting him strike for strike however, and he could see his blade was actually getting destroyed little by little in light of her claws. It hinted at the destructive force she was capable of with her hands alone.

"I wonder how capable you are without a blade?" Justice was hoping to put a break in his spirit as she said she would. What better way than to decimate the very weapon he seemed to favor? Her claws pierced at the long crack that had been on the blade that was held together to fully form the sword by the large staple shaped pieces of red metal. She ripped the blade apart effortlessly. Sol growled, having rather liked the sword that he himself made. She could not react in time as he lunged at her, fists catching the horns on either side of her head. Her face was impacted solidly by his knee slamming into it. Still her armor protected her. His other knee came forward and struck her in the chin, jarring her head back. She struck him in the ribs to send him off her, leaving decent cuts on his palms from him being ripped free of her horns. He impressed her further as his fist came forward to slam her in the chest. She had countered with her tail whipping him across the neck. Sol grunted, the attack smarting, but he maintained his offensive. He stepped in close, sliding under a claw swipe as his foot shot out to take her legs out from under her. He hopped up quickly, knee impacting with her face again as he leaped into the air. He spun to gather momentum before his leg came forward to kick her across her exposed side and slamming her into the ground on her back. He mounted her as she tried to rise, foot pressing firmly against her chest and sending her back fully on the ground.

"Hold still!" Sol grasped the side of her face to expose it completely before his other fist repeatedly struck her with enough force to have probably cracked a regular Human skull to pieces with just one blow. Justice's armor wasn't cracking one bit though despite the multiple hammerings of his fist. He was ready to at least pierce her eyes, but her tail snaked around his waist to pull him off, her claws piercing the sides of each arm as she pulled them free with her own monstrous strength.

"Fuck..." Sol growled. She flung him off her and rose to her full height. He skidded to a stop in a low crouch ready to rush in once more and keep the pressure on, but had to evade as a massive laser shot from her eyes once again, but rather than a straight line towards him, it spread in a wide radius across the ground to force him back.

"You truly have amazing power and combat prowess...it was quite fascinating to witness, though it was not enough to do any real lasting damage save for giving me a headache." Justice gave a small applaud to him.

"Wait, we're not done here!" Sol spoke with a snarl, not liking the sound of finality in her tone. Justice shook her head.

"Don't despair, my dear Knight. I have let you lived after all for that display. For showing me such a good time. Really...I had a great time, in fact! Until we meet again, my dear reckless Human." Justice, spared a brief nod of respect, before disappearing in a ring of light. Sol gritted his teeth.

'Damn...I wasn't able to damage her truly at all. Should I have used the full power of the Gear? It probably would have worked, but I might have had to give fully in, and I ain't ready for that.' Sol thought to himself, seeing the remains of his weapon shattered about on the ground. He didn't let it bother him too much. He heard foot steps rushing up the stairs.

"JUSTICE!" Ky had his weapon drawn and ready for a fight with the Herald of Destruction. All he saw was Sol in a battle torn uniform and no Justice.

"Sol? But I saw you fall over the side of the basement...it's good to see you alive but how in the world did you manage to get up here before me?" Ky questioned of him. Sol sighed.

"You can put the sword away, boy. Justice got away. I wasn't able to stall her long enough for your grand entrance." Sol said as he rubbed at his still sore neck from the whipping tail she had. He began to make his way past Ky and towards the steps to make his way back down, though spared a glance at the Thunder Seal.

'I'm going to need it...a weapon of the Outrage.' Sol knew that would be his best bet to obtain even further power without relying on the use of his Gear nature, which Sol wasn't afraid to admit left him spooked by the damage he might have truly been capable of if he really did let himself go beyond what he felt his limits were at this time.

"That still doesn't answer my question!" Ky's eyes narrowed, not taken by the instant change in subject. Sol would have to bring something with more substance. He had his answer quickly without any second thoughts.

"We'd better check on the old man, he was fighting a powerful Gear of his own after all. It the Gear really had been his adopted son at some point, he might have exploited a critical weakness." Sol was sure Kliff would be fine. He was very good at putting personal feelings aside to achieve the greater good. Ky's logic could be fogged up sometimes since he would get worried over the well being of both his higher ups as much as his subordinates under his charge. It made him a good leader, Sol already knew he would be an even more capable leader than even Kliff given enough time to mature further. That was still some time away from occurring however. So long as Ky only saw the world through a lens of white and black and had yet to address and fix the problem.

:xXx:

Outside of the Stairways to Heaven...

Sol and Ky met up with Kilff, who had been making his way up to them steadily. The three met up at about the 10th floor of the massive building. Kliff informed them that Testament mentioned Justice has decided to retreat from the area, and so took off as well while father and former son had been in combat. Sol was able to confirm it with Kliff, saying that he had a run in with Justice at the top. Deep in his fight with Testament, Kliff had not known of Sol having fallen off the bridge via the centipede constructs summoned by the Gear. It was not brought up since Ky helped Kliff down the stairs again for Kliff had exerted himself quite severely by their first ascent through the basement then his fight with Testament, followed by his second ascent towards the top. Kliff had gather his bearings as the three made their way towards the Knights still guarding outside in the wide radius of the building.

"My brave men and women of the Order, you all did a splendid job today and our casualties were kept to a good minimum. I wish I could bear successful news regarding Justice, but she has escaped. Though it was not a complete lost. We have liberated this base of their operations. I'm not sure of what further supplies or evidence we may find in regards to the Gears, but I want all of you to set up Guard shifts along the perimeter. The Research Team will assemble and start with a thorough search of the entire building and report their findings. Once this is complete, we will spare a skeleton force to occupy this facility so we can ensure Gears do not return. Runners will be posted at all times in shifts to ensure word gets back to Command at our HQ in the event of a Gear attack to occur here again. That is all the word I have to pass at this time, leaders, carry out with the plans of the day!" Once Kliff spoke, he took his leave. The Knights chorused with "Yes Sir!" all about and immediately were set to carry out their duties.

:xXx:

It had been about a day to search the entire facility. The Knights hadn't gained much as Kliff had predicted, but he would not chance missing possible opportunities to exploit any weaknesses Gears may have left behind. The skeleton force left back, the remainder of the Knights deployed on the mission proceeded back to the Order HQ for much needed rest. Sol was wondering the halls of the HQ, a new uniform on his person. He had made up his mind. The fact that the Outrage Fire Seal was located within this very base only made it more convenient. The Thunder Seal had been kept within the Order HQ in France, but was brought here when Kliff had deemed that he would give it to Ky for his meritorious services to the Order thus far and would grant it to him via a Promotions and Awards ceremony, which would also increase the morale of the Knights as a whole.

'I was already becoming dissatisfied with the Order. I need to meet with her once more. Justice...she...I know her...but to what extent? She didn't seem to really hold recognition of me, but I know there is something...it may be just a stupid feeling, but it's there...I'm not really sure what it means though. Damn emotions I don't understand, even having been alive for so fucking long...best to get some more hobbies down, preferably of the non-fighting variety.' Sol was feeling pensive as he stood before the great vault that sealed Fire Seal within. He pressed his ear against the thick door near the massive dial, listening to the clicks with his superior hearing. Once able to unlock the vault door, he swung it open and made his way inside. He left the vault door cracked open since he wasn't sure if he could open it from the inside yet, not really intimately knowledgeable in regards to how the vaults the held weapons of the Outrage set worked, nor had he saw another dial on the inside of the door. So for now he would have to assume that the only way out was by leaving the door unlocked.

'Huh...I thought the room wouldn't look like all the others in the HQ, but it does. There's fire coming from below that structure over there...' Sol proceeded deeper into the room. The structure he referred to had a series of ring like decorations above it, the magic of the flames below seeming to keep it aloft.

'Shit...well, still in the dark if it's a security system of some sort. Better investigate it thoroughly' Sol started to observe the structure with keen eyes as he circled about it.

:ToBeContinued:


	6. Chapter 6

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 6: Wielder Of The Blade

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

:xXx:

Sol had inspected the structure thoroughly. Not seeing anything extraordinary to note about the structure, Sol deduced that despite this, the ring formation was likely a security mechanism that simply trapped someone who tried to take the weapon from the fire. Not that Sol could really see where the Fire Seal was. Deciding to experiment, Sol willed the flames at the bottom of the pit to spread outward from the center towards the radius edge to allow him to peer past the flames. Sol noticed a black case at the bottom.

'That has to be it. Now about removing this formation...' Getting annoyed that there didn't seemed to be any real way to remove it without triggering an alarm, Sol made his way from each corner of the room to see if he could find some kind of deactivation switch. Not seeing anything, Sol decided there was only one thing to do. He would have to trip the alarm to get the weapon, if it really was an alarm. Sol went right up to the ring formation and bodily hefted it above his head. No alarm blared, and Sol gave a sigh of relief. However he wasn't out of the woods yet, hearing the vault door creak shut. Using his tremendous strength, he hurled the ring toward the gap still present. The vault door was grinding into the ring formation and crushing it, but luckily it held enough to leave a gap. Not wanting to waste time, Sol dispersed the flames and hauled the case up and tucked it under one arm as he rushed towards the vault door and hopped over the ring formation and the gap in the door to make his way out.

'Huh...maybe there was a faulty alarm system when it was installed and maintenance never checked up on it. Guess I lucked out. I thought I'd have to fight my way out of the Order tooth and nail. Doable but highly annoying.' Despite the heat from the case, Sol was immune to it's effects and laid it on the ground. Annoyed that there was a combination lock integrated into it, Sol was thankful it was compact enough to break open rather than the vault door's combination lock. Sol simply used his Gear strength to pry the box open. The Fire Seal was a strange sword, lacking the more typical design of a sword like the Thunder Seal. It was robustly built, the blade was thin yet wide and had a rectangular cutting edge. Sol stared at the weapon in quiet awe. Flashes of memory filtered into his mind, his hands crafting into metal the shapes that would become Fire Seal and Thunder Seal, along with several other weapons. Wild thoughts kept running through his mind repeatedly, and he was not sure if they were really his or not, but it was in his voice.

'Have to finish them...before I'm done for...can't disappear...just yet...' Sol groaned, fingers rubbing at his temple before moving along the metal surface of his limiter.

'The Gears...gotta kill them...gotta make something that will do it...end them all...!' He saw the flash of light in his mind, each weapon beginning to alter shapes and conforming to fit to each other like pieces of a puzzle. The strange conglomerate of weapons was somewhat ring shaped in appearance.

'This is it..with a weapon like this...I'll...' Sol's eyes were glazed over, as if in a trance. The light became blinding. Sol gritted his teeth.

"What is that...? The true form of...the Outrage?" Sol spoke up, his mind clearing somewhat, his eyes regaining their focus. Though not completely. He wobbly stood up, realizing that he was holding the Fire Seal in his left hand. He held it in the familiar inverted fashion he favored. Like the weapon was made for him.

'A weapon made just for me...maybe it's because I'm the one who made it...but is that really true? Were those memories from my past life? Just what was my profession as a Human? To be able to create such advanced weaponry for this day and age...to make such destructive devices...who the fuck am I, really? Some kind of weapon manufacturer? No...don't have the time for this shit. I was planning to desert the Order anyway, might as well go all out.' Sol shook his head, but his mind was still feeling somewhat befuddled. The sounds of footsteps caught his attention, but his senses honed in a little too late to be of much use this time around. He wasn't immune to making mistakes after all, and would have to change his plan accordingly. He stood up and faced the person who entered the small room outside the vault of the Outrage.

"Sol...why are you here...! That's...!" Ky spared a glance to Sol, then noted the damaged vault door still pried open with the ring formation, then looked to the weapon Sol now held in his hand. Sol noted that Ky had a blue band over his right bicep, seeing that he was CDOIC(Commissioned Duty Officer In Charge) of the base tonight. He must have sent his SNCDO(Staff Non-Commissioned Duty Officer) to sleeping post while Ky decided to tour the base and make sure everything was secure. It would just be Sol's luck that Ky would show up to check the vault's status right at this moment.

"The Fire Seal sword, isn't it? What do you mean to do with that, Sol? I'm well aware you didn't earn the right from Commander Kliff to even hold that weapon. Your in enough trouble for damaging government property. Don't make stealing to add on to the trouble your already in!" Kn snarled and unsheathed the Thunder Seal in one fluid motion and aimed it towards Sol's head. Sol moved his neck from side to side, making audible popping sounds as he worked out the kinks.

"Don't get your panties in bunch, boy. I'm just gonna borrow this for a time." Sol said, his voice void of emotion. Ky growled, grip tightening on the Thunder Seal.

"You really think I would simply let you do as you please? I have tried to discipline you the best I'm capable of, Sol! I've lost track of how many times I've sent you to the Brig for your idiocy! It's only because Commander Kliff favors the strength you possess that you remain a Knight at all. As much as I respect him, I will have to bypass him to make sure you are soundly discharged from our glorious organization! Hand over the sword and come with me, Sol!" Ky held out his empty hand. Sol spared a dry chuckle.

"Boy...let me drop some knowledge on you. It's a childish thought to think all will be swell and dandy if you but follow the rules down to the letter. Obeying rules all the time ain't how shit get's done. You know what's the saddest part about that? Deep down you know it, too!" Sol's tone aggravated Ky.

"You bastard...what do you know about obeying rules, when you break them all the time anyway? It will be up to me to show you your place. By God's grace, I will see you in shackles for your transgressions!" Ky snarled back. Sol spat on the ground.

"How about you stop lying to yourself, boy...you think it's by the grace of some God that all will be well in the end? How about you starting being truthful and say you want to see me in shackles because you put me there, by your own efforts, and not some divine blessing or whatever the fuck you want to label it as." Sol's words angered Ky to his utmost, the younger Knight taking an impressive leap as the Thunder Seal was aglow, leaving a florescent trail following the thin blade. Ky brought the blade down on Sol. Sol could only smirk. He swung upward with the Fire Seal, the blades colliding soundly with each other as sparks flew. Sol had to admit the Fire Seal was an awesome weapon, and though thinner and lighter than some of the others swords he created and utilized, it was still a rather heavy weapon that hit hard. It's robustness added a weight and heft that Sol favored to add in his swing, throwing Ky off balance as he landed awkwardly in front of Sol. Ky was grabbed bodily by the blue front of his uniform, head colliding with the metal slab on Sol's forehead. The force behind it made him see stars for a moment as he sailed through the air to land painfully on his back.

"You...I'll make you pay!" Ky was already on his feet, swinging his blade to send sparks of electricity speeding towards Sol. Sol drove the pommel of the Fire Seal forward, sending a long spray of fire outward. Ky growled, taking a step back and narrowly avoiding the flames. Sol whistled in surprise. All he had wanted was to cancel out the projectile, but this result was a pleasant surprise.

'Fuck, didn't expect that...but it would seem my magic is completely useable without me having to charge up to achieve the same effect. Let's see...' To curb the wild inferno that had been his first attack, Sol focused more on shaping his magic the way he wanted it, jamming the weapon into the ground as it let out a small but more directed trail of fire towards Ky. Ky hopped over the smaller projectile and rushed in close to Sol. Sol dislodged the Fire Seal and swung outward to intercept the straight thrust Ky came in with. The clash of metal on metal echoed as they began to swing their swords against the other. Ky was steadily being driven back by Sol and had to break away to steady the shaking in his arms.

"Damn..." Ky muttered. Sol lowered the Fire Seal to his side.

"Right...guess this is the first time we've actually fought one another for real. Must be humbling to see that trying to put me in my place is just another pipe dream of yours." Sol swung the Fire Seal in a wide arc and Ky hopped back to avoid it. Sol would have pressed his attack but decided to back down. He saw Ky was starting to cool his emotions, retaining his focus.

"Enough, Sol. I won't fall for your slander. Your strength means little in the face of the skills and hard work I've put in to be not only a respectable Human, but as a Knight of the Sacred Order with convictions unrivaled. I will see justice done the right way!" Ky took up the ever familiar stance that Sol was used to seeing him take, the younger man's sword arm raised over his head and his legs spread equally apart for perfect balance to go on the offensive and to retract to the defensive. Sol nodded.

"Calmed down some, eh? Good. You fight better when your calm and collected, boy. Now you'll be able to access the true difference in skills between us. A good lesson for someone still growing up. Go ahead, try your best only to realize that your current best ain't good enough!" Sol was like an unmovable mountain, his body calm and relaxed as well. A rare thing to see. Ky was ever alert, beginning to strafe around Sol and closing his distance ever so slightly and waited for his opportunity. Sol took a casual pace as he walked by Ky, eyes remaining fixed to one another. They felt out who would falter first. Ky gritted his teeth. He saw no opportunity but to try and open Sol's stance himself and unbalance the man. He swung the Thunder Seal fiercely, twisting to build momentum. Despite the strong blow, Sol guarded easily, and Ky felt like he slammed into a rock with the way Sol took the strike without any recoil. As Ky retracted, Sol came forward with a vicious strike of his own though the swipe of his sword seemed careless. It was more focused than Ky expected, his feet skidding on the ground as he found himself unable to evade and could only defend. The strike rattled his arms once more, making his arms feel numb. Ky had to keep his sword up as another quick swipe of the Fire Seal came in fast, Ky gritting his teeth as the blow nearly sent him off his feet. Sol had retracted back to his casual stance.

"Keh..." Ky felt nothing in his arms, flexing his fingers to retain feeling. He was surprised the Thunder Seal's thin blade was so durable and was thankful for such. Knowing he would need to try and press the offensive if he didn't want to be left without a weapon soon from Sol's powerful strikes, Ky came in with a quick and precise flurry of slashes and thrusts to try and break through Sol's guard. Despite Sol letting him press the attack, he remained hardly unmoving, meeting Ky's strikes with his own but with about the same attack power so Ky would defeat himself through fatigue. Theirs blades kept meeting up, and it was when Sol noticed Ky take a long inhale and exhale of breath that signaled him to put more force in his attacks to rattle Ky's offensive with his own. True to form, Ky was sent blasting back, his chest heaving from his exertions. Ky's eyes narrowed, seeing Sol was hardly winded by anything the younger man threw at him.

"I should have already known contending with you physically would be a difficult endeavor. But that's not the only way to win a battle. Tactics can come into play even on a one on one duel." Ky slammed the Thunder Seal once more against the Fire Seal, catching Sol off guard as lighting coiled about his form to create a mobile sphere of destruction that barreled into Sol's still guarded stance. Sol grunted as he felt himself skidding back, his back slamming into the wall and forming cracks along the surface. Ky let out a roar of power as he willed the lightning to become even denser, slamming Sol right through the wall and onto his back. Sol righted himself up in one fluid roll.

"So you'll make a commotion so that I can't escape here without the Fire Seal. The other Knights on their Sentry posts have probably heard this by now. A good tactic in case you lose, but you really think anyone save for yourself and the old man can really hold a candle to me?" Seeing that Ky was integrating higher level Magic into the mix, and also knowing what he meant to do in order to prevent Sol's escape at any cost, Sol decided to up the ante a bit himself. He rushed in towards Ky, Fire Seal scraping the ground as he dove in low. Both Knights struck out with their respective elements exuding from their weapons as they took to the air. Both kicked off each other and sending their blades down in vicious arcs. Sparks flew free as they began to free fall, but both air dashed to close the distance before they touched ground. Sol thrust the Fire Seal forward pommel first, slamming it against the Thunder Seal's blade and knocking Ky away towards the ground first. Ky was forced to defend against Sol as he dove towards Ky's location with his blade being driven downward , nearly planting Ky in ground had quick reflexes not saved Ky and allowed him to hop back to avoid the Fire Seal as it plunged deeply into the ground. The weapon was buried almost down to the hilt and Ky reacted quickly to try and cut Sol down before he could recover the blade. Sol merely smirked.

"Really?" He mocked as the ground exploded underneath him in a haze of fire and debris that blew Ky back. Ky would attempt the offensive again but his eyes went wide upon seeing Sol bodily step towards him, a large slab of the marble ground still gutted on the Fire Seal as Sol swung it forward. Ky had to dive out of the way as the chunk exploded in pieces. Clouds of dust and debris wove through the air, providing a wide cover. Ky tried to make out the familiar shape of Sol but couldn't. He began hearing several voices and the sounds of footsteps. The Knights on guard post were converging to his and Sol's location. Ky waved his arm about to disperse the rolling cloud that impeded his sight, finally meeting face to face with some of the Knights on post.

"Sir Ky, what happened?" One of the Knights inquired. Ky growled.

"Find Sol! He's made off with the Fire Seal sword without proper authorization!" Ky shouted and the rest of the Knights dispersed of the dust so they could see clearly. Sol was no where in sight however.

"He's not here. Could he have escaped under the cover of the debris?" One of the Knights said after a few moments. Ky gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Sound the alarm! Search everywhere! Find Sol and bring back the Fire Seal! Full on deadly force is authorized. I don't care in what state of being he's brought back in, but get it done! The Outrage cannot be lost to someone like him!" Ky gave quick orders and had the Knights sprinting out to locate the rogue Knight.

"Damn it...never again! I won't be slighted by you, Sol. Your more skilled and resourceful than I ever thought you would be. I have a new aim to set my sights on, this is far from over! I won't underestimate that strength ever again!"

:xXx:

Sol had been rushing through the halls and making his way out. He considered just beating down all the Knights he could, but it felt like a waste of time and he would just be exposing himself needlessly more than he already was. So he decided to take the path of least effort on his part if it could be helped. Once he was free and in the open, he could access what he had to do. He could stay low key for a long time due to his former profession as a Bounty Hunter, and he had just the right connections should he ever leave the Order on bad terms, kind of like now. For now though, he had to get out while escaping detection from the Knights. He was in one of the open courtyards of the Order HQ, having just entered at the same time as some other Knights did. They were from the Raiders, a fire team of four of them, two males and two females. Sol grunted.

"Ah hell. What were the odds?" Sol muttered.

"Sir Sol, is it really true? Your planning to flee the Order and take the Fire Seal?" The Knight on the point of the fire team questioned of his former leader first. Sol sighed.

"Yeah. No point lying to some of my own. Or rather, were my own. So..." Sol brought the Fire Seal to bare, ready for an attack but it didn't come.

"Shit, and get my head knocked off?I'll pass. Listen Sir Sol, most Knights may pretty much hate your guts, but those of us especially in the Raiders know you do the things you do for a reason. This may be one of those bigger deals since your taking a weapon of the Outrage set, but I at least know there is something you want to do. I wager it's got something to do with your fight with Justice. It's just a guess, but you've looked a bit different after your meeting with her." The Knight on point said having overheard that Sol was the only one to be able to reach Justice at the top of the Stairway to Heaven. Since there was no hostility felt from the four, Sol lowered the Fire Seal to his side.

"I see. So all of you will pretend you didn't see me on the way of your patrol. Keep well quiet about it, or you four will get in some serious shit for knowingly helping a criminal. Hurry and get out of here." Sol ran past them, but hadn't gotten too far when one of the female Knights called out to him. He realized it had also been the Private that had spoken to him on the train when the Knights were making their way here.

"Just a moment Sir Sol!" She called to him. Sol halted abruptly, sparring her a glance.

"What? I'm in a hurry." Sol said.

"Although I wasn't in the unit for very long, I just wanted to thank you when that Megadeth Gear tried to attack the train. I think you saved all of us even if the train got damaged. So, thank you, Sir Sol!" She bowed in a gesture of thanks. Sol gave a nod of his own before running off again.

:xXx:

Outside of Order HQ, in the mountains...

Sol had been more careful on his way out of the Order HQ. Not all Raiders were loyal to him after all so he didn't let another careless moment out. He spared one last glance at the Order HQ, aglow with search lights as they roamed along the ground. Sol had evaded them as well as he made his way here. Dawn was approaching, the sunlight showing just shy of the top of the mountains. A sound caught his attention and he turned to greet it. He wasn't sure how it was Kliff came to be out and about on the mountains, but the old man did like to take long strolls of his own to escape some of the pressure of being Commander of the Knights.

"Old man..." Sol muttered. Guess it wouldn't have been good manners and customs to spirit off with the Fire Seal without seeing one's superior officer in some way, shape, or form.

:ToBeContinued:


	7. Chapter 7

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 7: Comrades In Arms

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

Note: Well this is where Order-Sol's story mode ended. The remainder of this story is now coming from my own imagination as far as what Sol might have possibly been up to after he deserts from the Order until GGTML.

:xXx:

"That weapon, Sol...the Fire Seal." Kliff's voice shown slight surprise, but his eyes shown with an understanding. As if he knew a day like this might come.

"Sorry, old man...unfortunately..." Sol turned away from Kliff. He knew that Kliff and him might be good friends, but there was a fine line to tread when said friend steals something as precious as what Sol had. Kliff stroked his beard for a moment.

"It's fine. I'll allow you to take the Fire Seal, Sol, but on one condition..." Kliff took the Dragon Slayer in two hands. Sol had a wry smile upon his lips.

"I can already guess. But tell me why, old man...you sound as if you were planning to give me this sword." Sol looked directly at Kliff now, his eyes searching the Commander's own. Kliff grinned.

"Sharp as always, Sol. Indeed, I planned to give you the Fire Seal eventually. It will be sooner than I expected was all. Perhaps that's why I felt the need to take a stroll...to meet up with you here after your desertion from the Order. To test you and your new weapon." Kliff gathered ki into his core, his body growing taller. The once pale gray hair on his head became silver, growing longer and wilder on his head. His face no longer had a beard, the wrinkles disappearing to form a younger and livelier face. This was the young Kliff known from some sixty years ago, at his prime. The clothing may have barely fit over his frame, which was bulging with muscles, but it did not detract from his overall appearance as the legendary figure in history he already was.

"The magic of Ki is truly something...to be able to regain your youth, even if for but a moment..." Sol pondered aloud. He knew that Kliff was going to be quite strained once he reverted back to his original form, but for now he was the younger and faster man of the past. Which meant a tough fight for Sol. Yet he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I have to put more effort this time, Sol. Your strength warrants such, my friend." Kliff swung the Dragon Slayer not only with one arm, but it was blazing fast as well. It was a side swipe, aimed at Sol's neck. Sol brought the Fire Seal up and braced his arm against it as the two weapons impacted. Kliff and Sol were both gritting their teeth. Sol's muscles bulged and flexed as he kept the strong attack at bay, his feet sliding in the dirt though he refused to be moved off his feet. Much as the other spar at the HQ, Sol's uniform ripped at some areas due to his immense brawn, muscles flexing against the tight material.

"That's pretty good...my arm is actually shaking." Sol said, a small smirk on his face. Regardless of the strong attack from the much bigger sword, the weapon of the Outrage set held up magnificently against it. Kliff was also smirking.

"Weapons of the Outrage set are amazingly resilient. Despite being smaller than your previous weapons, it holds together even against the crushing force the Dragon Slayer is capable of...and you, Sol...with the strength you possess..." Kliff retracted the weapon and spun around, sending the blade to Sol's unarmed side. Sol had been thrown off balance due to pushing against the Dragon Slayer initially, but got his footing just in time to once again block the massive blade with the Fire Seal single handed.

"Tough bastard..." Sol muttered. He pushed the Dragon Slayer away to give him a moment to close the distance between them, the Fire Seal being swung out in a wide arc. Kliff intercepted the rectangular blade with the Dragon Slayer's handle, spinning the weapon to entrap Sol as Kliff grabbed hold of his arm and drew him in close for mighty spear kick aimed into Sol's chest. Sol was able to anticipate it and went with the momentum to spin past the kick and try and land his empty fist in Kliff's face. Kliff manipulated the Dragon Slayer expertly as always, using the handle to defend and offset Sol's own offense with his own as the blade came spinning towards the deserting Knight. Sol crouched under the attack and was ready to rush in again when Kliff blasted him with a ki wave from his palm. The Fire Seal was brought up to defend just in time, but Sol was once again put at an ineffective distance. He tried to close the distance a few more times, but Kliff fought with the Dragon Slayer more efficiently in his youthful appearance, halting all of Sol's attacks that he tried to get in. Deciding to test something, Sol conjured up the ranged attack that he used on Ky.

"Gun Flame!" The words left Sol's mouth as the first thought that came to mind and letting the trail of fire come at Kliff. Kliff was about to smite it with a wide fanning swing of the Dragon Slayer, only to see Sol tear right through the flames himself as he used it as cover to advance inward towards Kliff at tremendous speeds that wasn't expected. Kliff defended but was left skidding back as Sol used a shoulder tackle to open the other man's stance, his empty hand grabbing at Kliff's uniform to draw him in. Kliff used his empty hand to halt Sol's equipped arm as the Fire Seal was swung forward with vicious speed. The two were in a deadlock as Kliff tried the same tactic and swung Dragon Slayer forward, only to be stopped by Sol's arm meeting his own as his grip left Kliff's garb. Both were gritting their teeth as they strained against the other, spittle leaving their mouths through bared teeth. Kliff knew that Sol would outlast him though, and decided to fall back and use Sol's momentum against him. Sol was sent tumbling as Kliff used his foot to kick Sol off his downed form so he couldn't be impeded as he made his way back to a standing position. Sol was sailing through the air, flipping himself upright and performed a backwards air dash to escape Kliff's two handed thrust of the Dragon Slayer and landed safely in a low crouch before rising to a stand. Kliff's breathing was becoming ragged, and he felt that he wouldn't be able to maintain his youthful appearance much longer. Sol appeared to be hardly winded.

"Take this!" Kliff decided to pull off one of his most powerful attacks before reverting back to his normal aged form, drawing the Dragon Slayer back briefly before thrusting it forward and piercing the ground deeply, sending spikes of energy that looked like the sharp teeth of a dragon towards Sol. Sol found it difficult to defend the powerful attack head on, drawing forth a defensive barrier that allowed him to be pushed outward from the destructive energy as it cracked the ground in several places. Sol rushed in with his tremendous speed once more to close the distance quickly, but came to a halt when he noticed Kliff's eyes had gone white, his skin becoming a bit paler and more wrinkled. His stature shrunk back to the old man Sol was familiar with, breathing in and out heavily from his exertions. Sol decided to hold off pressing his attack to let Kliff regain his wind again. Kliff struggled to stay up right, and the Dragon Slayer fell from his grip. It hadn't impacted the ground, though, Sol there to take the handle and ease the weapon across his shoulder as his free arm went to help Kliff.

"Easy, old man. You really strained yourself pulling off a stunt like that." Sol said, assisting Kliff towards a flat rock to sit himself. Sol placed the Dragon Slayer by the old man's side. Kliff looked up at him. His eyes met with Sol, and he gave a nod of thanks. Sol had let him be and strode back to the Fire Seal, which he had planted in the ground the moment he realized Kliff was about to topple over.

"Sorry...that was a technique I've been working on to fight Justice with the same strength I had in my youth, but I am still working on making it last longer. Exerts me a lot though..." Kliff's breathing became normal and calm again.

"So I noticed." Sol said as he took the Fire Seal out of the ground.

"Sol, sorry I couldn't fight you longer...still I'm very satisfied by your display of strength as always...the Knights of the Sacred Order need you...many Knights will not understand, Ky probably most of all at this point...but to end this war once and for all, your service is still required." Kliff stared at Sol. Sol sighed.

"Old man, even if that's the case...I can't remain here as a part of them...nor do I want to. Sorry, but that's how I feel." Sol looked away from him.

"Your searching for something, Sol. I don't know what it is, but I do understand that much. I'm sure you will find it somehow...go, Sol. But please...never forget." Kliff's gaze went to the sky, becoming aglow with the light of the sun piercing through the darkness as it crept over the horizon. Sol, too, began to look at the sunrise.

"You will be relentlessly hunted by the Knights and Bounty Hunters amongst others for your desertion in the near future, but regardless...even though you may no longer hold a place within the ranks of the Sacred Order, you are still one of my men...and a part of my family." Kliff leaned back further against the rock as he continued to watch the sun peeked just a bit further up.

"Yeah." Sol affirmed, beginning to walk away from Kliff, the Fire Seal over his shoulder.

"Sol, I look forward to seeing you again, in a world where this war is nothing more than a memory." Kliff's stood up from the rock and took hold of the Dragon Slayer. The two men looked back at each other one more time.

"Me too." Sol nodded, before making his way through the mountains and out of Kliff's sight. An unspoken promise between them. This war...it would end. It had to.

:xXx:

Sol had made his way well out of the mountains. He knew that he would have to trek through the wilderness and sneak his way into a city. He decided to keep his Knight garbs on for the time being, since he was thinking on what Kliff had said to him.

'I may no longer be a Knight, but I do know that I've decided to continue to fight the Gears, and that means to also stop Justice. I can't keep this uniform on, but there's some things on it I want to save for when I do get a change of clothes. Old man...I won't forget. But, I'll be doing things my way from now on, is all. I will put an end to this stupid war between the Humans and the Gears!' Sol had decided to stow away on another train line once he came upon some train tracks in the forest. It was a regular civilian owned train that Sol found out was heading towards New York. It would be a long way to go, but it would definitely get him to a city that was far away from a military installation and he could sneak among the crowds.

Though far from being as prosperous in this bleak future, New York was still a decent sized outpost for civilians since the city had been liberated by the Order about fifteen years prior. Gears usually didn't attack a place liberated, but some stragglers often were stopped by a joint force effort of the Knights and Zeppian military. The Assassin's Guild had once also been a part of this joint force before stepping further out of the picture of the war as it continued to rage on. While no true military installation was present like an Order HQ or Zepp Base, there were a few miniature outposts out there , but guarded outside the perimeter of the actual city itself. But it was a far cry compared to the security of both Human military's actual bases.

This meant some civilians could prosper somewhat again during these hard times and go back from being caught up in the large war as it went on elsewhere. Sol had been sure to sneak out of the train, using his uniform as a disguise since there were a couple of Knights hanging around and chatting it up with civilians as the exited the train. To the people, Sol was just another face, even to the Knights for it wasn't uncommon for some Knights to take leave during the war efforts to get some much needed relaxation time by coordinating it well in advance so that another Knight could take the other one's place in the fight against the Gears. The Fire Seal was covered in a thick cloth Sol had stolen aboard the train. He made his way at a casual pace to avert further suspicion, but knew it wouldn't be much longer before word got spread so far out about what he had done. He hoped to get a change of clothing while he was at it to make himself a bit more unrecognizable from the Knights.

:xXx:

Sol had gained further updated knowledge on the layout of the city by imprinting a map in his head. He made a quick detour to a cheap but decent store of the clothing line chain called RIOT. It was a brand that Sol had grown attached to in his life as a Gear, for the clothing style just always seemed to be up his alley as far as the trends were concerned.

"Hello sir, welcome to RIOT. Is there anything in particular your looking for?" One of the Sales Associates caught his attention with a bright smile on her face. She only saw another Knight on leave when she addressed him. It also told him word probably hadn't spread too far yet about him. This was likely since the Order would want to keep the theft of a weapon of the Outrage in house as much as possible, but Sol wagered it only a matter of time before they might get Bounty Hunters in the mix. Sol would have to enjoy his brief walk out in the open for only a little while.

"Nah, just browsing...you got an ATM in this store?" Sol said as he craned his head about, his eyes zeroing in on the fitting rooms near the back right side of the store. An ATM would help with his hefty sum of money he had pocketed in many secret accounts to confuse the Order's payroll so they couldn't trace anything back to himself. It allowed him to not have to resort to being so out in the public just to obtain another card from a bank, further keeping him on the down low.

"Yes we do, sir. There is one over at the left back corner of the store. Mostly opposite of fitting room, sir." She said. Sol nodded.

"Thanks." He said curtly and went to browse in the section for men's clothing. Deciding he didn't want the very flowing clothes like his Knight uniform or as bright white, Sol picked out a pair of beige colored demin jeans that looked like they wouldn't be as tight and constricting as the pants of his uniform. He was glad to see that these jeans had allowed for dual belt loops, meaning he could still wear his belt with the etched word FREE on the surface of the large metal buckle. It would be one of the ways he kept his promise to Kliff, to maintain just the barest amount to still hold the Knight belt upon his waist. Looking around the stalls more, Sol caught sight of a black sleeveless shirt and two different sets of long black fingerless gloves. Sol took them to the fitting room and tried out what would hopefully be his new duds. Stripping out of his uniform, Sol placed the jeans on first and was relieved that they were not nearly so tight as the pants of his Knight uniform.

"Let's see..." Sol muttered to himself and placed the black shirt on next, tucking it into the jeans. He placed the gloves on next, noticing that he could attach something on the back of the outer ones he got and so decided to remove the metal plating on the back of his smaller white gloves that was part of his Knight getup and strapped them on his new black ones. Approving of the look in the mirror so far, Sol noticed he still had quite a bit of scars peeking out of his black shirt. Sol pondered about keeping his vest and twisted the large golden buttons that kept it on the mantle and the coat end of his knight uniform. Not liking the whole thing on, Sol was able to safely remove the top half portion of the vest from the rest of it by undoing the large buttons completely. Sol found himself satisfied with the look overall, but the red sash cloth of his belt he felt was too long now that he was not in such long clothes.

:xXx:

Sol walked out of the store, still in his Knight uniform, a plastic bag with his purchased clothing in hand. He made his way to one of the dark alleys on the side of the streets, glad that not too many people were milling about in the area he was currently in. Sol had tossed his uniform away, but kept a few things that he was able to modify himself through a bit of effort to still maintain an image he felt that would show to Kliff the promise he made while still expressing the person Sol was himself. He knew to the Knights like Ky, it would likely be a mockery, but Sol could care less. Sol had added a few leather straps on his person just to add a little bit extra to the beige jeans, and one lone strap over his right bicep just for the hell of it. Still he admitted it helped add some uniformity to the double leather straps of his limiter and his belt, the buckle attached with a shorter piece of cloth Sol had cut from his original one on his Knight uniform, using the Fire Seal to do it. He was able to modify it with several inter-lapping leather belts to make up the black border frame that other Knights had on their own but added a bit of a unique touch to it.

'Not bad...and so much more comfortable than those damn dresses they call uniforms. Now these are clothes I can get used to!' Sol had taken the wrapped up Fire Seal in hand after draping a makeshift cloak around his head and shoulders. It had been cut from the extra fabric Sol had taken to cover the Fire Seal in the first place. It would add a bit more protection from easily getting recognized again. But to make extra sure, Sol took the less crowded route. He had made his way past what had once been one of New York's greatest monuments: The Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, it had not survived the war either and was now broken apart into pieces. The head ended up not too far from the dented railing that made up the once popular viewing point for the statue itself. Sol narrowed his eyes, his senses picking up on hostiles nearby. It wasn't the feeling of Knights or the Zeppian Soldiers though, but still a dangerous force. Sol could feel them slinking closer towards his back, not realizing Sol himself was already aware. Sol went towards the shattered head of the Statue of Liberty, gazing at the empty eyes on it's stone face.

"Haven't you got eyes in your head? The fuck do you want..." Sol turned, seeing five figures garbed similarly to himself in cloaks. He grumbled, realizing who these people were, but wondered if they sought him due to having taken the Fire Seal or not.

"Well now...it seems we couldn't get the element of surprise on you. I didn't think you were the one we sought anyway, but I wanted to be sure." The figure said.

"Why is some of the Assassin's Guild out here? Not like you've been all that active with the Crusades going on." Sol said curtly. He may have been out of the loop a bit from his time fighting as a Knight on the front lines, but he was pretty sure the Assassin's Guild was congregated in their ancestral home bases located primarily in European countries. The place known only as Nirvana was where the Leader of the Assassin's Guild resided with his top most cohorts. So why were some in A-Country?

"That's none of your business. Just be glad we've bigger things to take care of and so your life is spared...we've wasted too much time anyway. Move out!" The Assassins ran off. Sol kept his gaze to them.

'Something is up...and it'd be heavy if I got involved...fuck, though. Why'd they have to go off towards where I was already headed? Annoying, but...guess what happens happens. I'll avoid it if able, but if I got to crack some skulls too...so be it.'

:ToBeContinued:


	8. Chapter 8

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 8: Lovely Lonely Lady

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

:xXx:

Sol made his way up towards the outskirts of the city. It was near desolate mid day thanks to people congregating in other areas for their places of work and play. It had started out slow, but Sol began to see signs of struggles here and there along his path. One hooded Assassin hung across the guard rail, having impacted it enough to break the already flimsy piece of metal. Sol wouldn't be surprised if the body fell into the water below sometime soon, where the man's blood flowed down like a crimson river.

'It'd be nice to see how this guy got killed exactly. Whoever did it...must be damn powerful. A renegade Assassin?' Sol pondered to himself. Every now and again, mainly after their so called spars, Slayer would sometimes have long casual talks with Sol. There had been random topics that would occur, though once Slayer had gotten into a conversation about some of the living conditions of the Assassin's Guild. Sol remembered hearing that not all Assassins were content with their lives in the Guild in this day and age, even with several being trained at very young and very adaptable ages. Slayer may no longer be Head of the Guild for a very long time, but even in supposed retirement, he knew well of the things gained and loss through time within the organization.

"Well...heavy..." Sol muttered as he looked on ahead as he walked further through the abandoned streets, seeing two more carcasses of the hooded Assassin members. One had been somehow tossed through several glass doors of a tall but derelict skyscraper. The other one was gutted through by something sharp several times and lay strewn on the sidewalk. Sol caught with sharp eyes something along the shattered remains of glass near the front door the first Assassin had been smashed through. He stepped up closer to examine it

"Hair...?" Sol took the long strand of hair from along the glass and brought it to his face to examine it more closely.

'It's texture is very soft...silky would be the word I'm looking for I guess...so it would seem the owner of this hair takes a lot of care in it...' He rubbed the strand of hair in between his thumb and index finger, then brought it up towards his face. As a Gear, Sol's own senses were on par or more than even most animals. Like other powers and abilities, Sol could turn these keener senses on or off with relative ease thanks to his limiter allowing him reign over his some of his Gear nature.

'Definitely a woman...crazy, considering how rare it is for women to go into combat, let alone perform this much violence. Must be a renegade Assassin for sure. These injuries...how the hell did she create them though...? Despite the cuts...no metal pierced their flesh...' Sol dropped the strand of hair and had examined the bodies as they were on solid ground to do so.

'However she cut down these two...could it be from one of those rituals to obtain the power from use of Forbidden Magic? It's true that many of the top Assassins apparently use power of Forbidden Magic to give them some outrageous abilities...' He made his way further up, where the shade from the buildings was casting long blots of darkness along the road. The positions of those shadows allowed Sol to know it was around 2 PM in the afternoon. He could sense someone out there, another living soul besides himself. Sol sniffed briefly, his sense of smell allowing him to sift through each scent roaming the air. He was able to detect it. The pleasant aroma of the woman who had killed the other men, her scent mixed with the blood of several others she had killed. Sol knew that she must have been quite skilled. He walked further along the street, seeing the last two dead men. One had his head severed from the rest of his body and lay in the middle of the road. The last had appeared to be smashed against the side of a building, head and right shoulder liquidated into sinew and blood.

Fist tightening around the Fire Seal, Sol turned swiftly upon feeling a shift in the air. His blade guarded as the lithe body of a woman garbed in a white robe came crashing against the blade's flat with her feet pushing down to attempt unbalancing Sol. Realizing he was barely moved, she had prepared a rather nasty surprise for him to contend with, blurs of gold streaking towards him. Grunting, Sol pushed her away before he became a pin cushion for her. He also hopped back for good measure, barely evading her precise attacks. Once the tip of her foot touched ground, she was already closing the distance with amazing speed.

'So that's it...her hair is the weapon...to be able to solidify it to such a state that it is hard and sharp enough to cut through flesh like a real blade...and she's fleet footed...bitch is tough, no doubt about it.' Halting her lightning offensive with a casual looking swipe of his blade, she took it in stride and twisted to evade the attack while craning her head to send a long trail of hair whipping down on his back. Sol surprised her with his own reflexes, twisting into his own momentum to evade her attack and bypass her small frame by sliding underneath her. It was like a dance had begun as she practically glided towards him after having landed, her hair blasting needle shaped projectiles of her own hair at him. Sol swung the Fire Seal in a quick flurry of strikes, knocking all the pins down on the ground. His empty hand grabbed hold of her cloak and ripping it from her shoulders. Her back was to him. Her hair formed into two blades like formations like scissors, snapping shut nearly around his neck. He thrust forward with the Fire Seal's pommel towards the junction of her hair, preventing the blade shaped hair from closing as he tossed aside her cloak and letting it fall to the ground. He grabbed her, his large hand clamping down on her slender neck as he bodily turned her to face him.

'This woman...' Stunning blue eyes met with mismatched eyes, one of crimson red and the other amber gold. Sol could admit that he had not seem many a fine specimen of femininity as this one, even having served side by side with female Knights. Although halted by her beauty, it had been just a moment that he put the thoughts aside as he realized those two strands of hair were shifting behind him and about to pierce his back. He came forward while pulling her off her feet to bring her closer, slamming his limiter against her forehead. Her concentration broken by the jarring strike, her hair went limp and fell against his shoulders. He released his hold and let her stumble back, falling on her rear. The pause in their small tussle allowed him to see the woman's appearance overall. She was dressed in a form fitting uniform of white that looked somewhat akin to a one piece bathing suit, but was made of much more durable leather and other material. Mostly covering this was another form fitting dress like uniform of two pieces that had a white trim along the bottom of each, one along the bottom of her top just under her bust while the other made it's way along the bottom her her skirt. Her arms were covered in fingerless black leather gloves, while her toned legs were bare to him, her feet sporting white running shoes with blue plating along the front of them. She was up in an instant, her stance tense and rigid. She was still planning on fighting.

"I ain't one of your Assassin pals." Sol pulled his own cloak free, allowing her to see his appearance fully as the cloak fell in a heap by his right leg as he still held a fistful of the material in his grasp.

"Doesn't matter. Your in the way." Her voice was soft and pleasant, but she definitely had a small accent, telling him that English was not her first language. If he had to narrow it down, she was probably Russian, or at least spoke it as her native tongue. She seemed to understand English well enough though. She zipped towards him with her fleet footwork, tucking her body in a roll to close in while he swung his blade in a wide arc to try and make her retreat instead. Sol growled.

"Is that so?" Sol still was able to retaliate once she got into his face and was mid way in cutting him with a swipe of her hair, his cloak taking the hit as it was cut cleanly into, one corner splitting off. Sol used the distraction as the rest of his cloak fell over her. She pulled it off quicker than he expected, but not quick enough for him to lunge forward as he reared his fist back. His fist would have met with her face, but she was able to guard as her hair wove a protective defensive wall in between them. His fist slammed into her hair, the force still enough to send her back as she did not expect such recoil and skidded to a stop. She tried to retaliate, but Sol used her slight distraction to his advantage and had already lunged forward while swinging his blade overhead. The Assassin was almost caught in the attack, but reacted as quickly as she had his last attack and guarded with her hair once more while skidding back forward. Though her guard held, she could feel the power in his strikes of which she highly doubted she could contend with much if he did actually land a solid hit.

"Wait." Sol didn't press his attack, his empty hand up as a gesture to stop. His eyes started to dart about the surroundings. The woman would have pressed the attack since he gave up his, but didn't. Though she hardly knew him, her trained eyes knew that his reactions and senses were definitely above average. It meant he felt danger from somewhere. She was also starting to feel something not quite right in the air. Sol had caught on first, noticing that the woman's shadow was not moving naturally, his attacks having pushed her out of the darkness that was looming over them in the shade of the tall building they had fought under. He stepped bodily forward as he swung his blade to make her take a defensive step back. A black drill shot up from where she had been standing just the moment prior. The woman's eyes narrowed.

"That...so you did come all the way out here, Zato!" The woman sounded slightly aggravated, her only real sign of emotion so far. Sol heard of that name before. She began scanning the ground, almost not catching as a black spear shaped spike shot out at her, forcing her to defend the attack. A man in tight fitting clothing of all black arose from where the attack came from, his shadow not touching the ground and instead spread around him like a fanning blade. Sol's eyes narrowed, knowing of this particular creation from Forbidden Magic. The Eddie. The man's blonde hair was long, though not nearly to the woman's own, red cloth secured around his eyes by a leather strap at it's center.

"My dear Millia...it would seem you've been a very naughty girl. Running from the guild...not what I would expect from one of my best and brightest." Zato said, his voice smooth as silk but did not hold any real warmth to it. Sol thought he detected a hint of Spanish accent in Zato's words but it was indeed very slight. Millia schooled her emotions in check. Zato seemed all to aware of the turmoil within her, though. A slight smirk crept it's way upon his lips. He was blind, but his other senses had honed to a greater capacity than most Humans.

"Then it seems you don't know me very well after all." Millia spoke, her tone cool. Zato released a slight chuckle.

"Now, now, my dear...I know you better than you know yourself after all. I can end you at my leisure. If not for that man, you would have not even known I was even here. He must be quite something, to see through me. For that, I do show some respect." Zato gave a slight bow towards Sol's direction.

"You...your the head honcho of the Assassin's Guild, right? More commonly referred to as Zato-1. Seems a bit more than just lovers quarrel." Sol said, scratching at an itch behind his right ear. Zato gave out a laugh, his shoulders shaking.

"Oh, it it that obvious? Your quite perceptive. You also are aware of just who I am yet don't cower in fear of me. It's quite difficult to feel you out...you must be well trained. Even Millia seemed to have a bit of difficulty in taking you down, a rare feat indeed. If not for her, perhaps I could test my own mettle against your own...such is life. I hope you don't mind if I steal your dancing partner for awhile, for we do have a history after all." Zato turned to face Millia, his arms coming forward to guild his shadow to do his bidding. Large snake like creatures formed from it, lashing out at her. Millia sent her own hair forward to smash into them in nearly the same fashion as Zato had attacker her with to cancel out the attack. She took to the air, spinning to send a needle down at him. Zato's form became an amorphous blob that slithered along the ground to close the distance of the still airborne woman. He rose up right under her location, sending a large black claw from his shadow rising to strike her. Millia kicked off the form appendage and landed at a safer distance to rush in and try and intercept him. Sol heard something that caught his attention, Zato becoming aware of it soon after, but was not quite so worried about it as he intercepted Millia as she closed in.

"Zeppian mecha...scout type..." Sol saw the red colored, pilot controlled, and lightly fortified mecha armor that flew through the air above their heads. Sol realized it was doing a security sweep of the areas less populated for any activity that might be going on, mainly to protect from the Gear menace if they might ever show up. Being that Zepp mainly ran with the use of Black Tech, the term dubbed for older technologies that didn't run on Magic energy, they had a few more advanced things to play around with by comparison to the Knights in terms of aerial combat. Airships, while still quite useful in aerial combat, were much slower and cumbersome by comparison to some of the armored combat machines Zepp had at it's disposal as a floating island nation where most if not all of the Black Tech was placed and situated. It was made illegal for most parts of the world to use Black Tech as the products that had been made in the past polluted much of the world and eroded so many of the natural resources until Magic had curbed it's use, but Zepp had so much of it that there could not be any real helping of it being used. And so anyone with the right permits and waivers could use Black tech outside of Zepp, like their own military. As Magic technologies became more advanced, the people as a whole hoped to be free of Black Tech all together eventually, but such a time had not come yet. It halted above the three, it's thrusters flaring. One of the two hatches on the machine opened, a Soldiers of the Zeppian army repelling down to the ground from a wire cable with an automatic machine gun in his hand.

"That's enough fighting out here in the boondocks...wait! Your Zato-1 of the Assassin's Guild! Your under arrest!" The Soldier may have only halted to prevent further fighting, but soon realized just who it was that was that he faced. His gun was up in an instant. Both Zato and Millia had taken pause of their fight, gathering what it was they were planning to do. Sol grumbled under his breath.

'Great...I walked right into an annoying situation. Guess that's what I get for being a bit too curious along my way out of this city. The blame's all mine...but maybe I'll just leave these people to hash things out while I make my getaway.' Sol thought, but remained still as to not draw any further attention to himself, as the Solder recognized Zato only at this time. Sol would have to be well away from here to evade any other Knights or Soldiers who probably got word of his desertion by now.

"How irritating...don't you think an insignificant gnat like yourself should know better than to step into such peril? You'd best pull the trigger now or flee...I won't give you another option to save your life otherwise." Zato threatened. The Soldier clicked the safety off his gun and squared his stanch a bit lower.

"I've already got backup on the way, but if you prefer some hot lead digging in you right now, I can do that easily." The Soldier said in a firm voice, but it was just a farce as far as Zato was concerned. Sol saw the bead of sweat drop from the Soldier's chin from under his helmet. One weapon of Black Tech was not going to do much to a person like Zato, who possessed great control over the Eddie. Sol also noticed the small red light beeping along the top left side of the hovering mecha, knowing it was likely a homing beacon that signaled for backup to come. The Soldier hadn't lied in that respect then. Regardless though, Sol knew he better make himself scarce before any cavalry arrived. It was when the trigger was pulled that Sol, Zato and Millia reacted in a specific fashion. Zato held his arms out wide as a spray of bullets pierced into him, but instead were deflected as his shadow engulfed his figure and transformed it into a demon like creature with sharp claws and talons. Zato extended his arm, his claws thrusting forward to pierce cleanly through the Soldier, flak jacket and all. The Soldier was dead on the spot and hung loosely from on the wire cable. The armor mecha hovered higher above, signaling to other mecha on the way that possessed much more fire power due to their weaponry. Millia had tried to use the small distraction to get to Zato, her foot kicking out towards him, but he blocked it. Sol grabbed his cloak and rushed past the two Assassins, but not before giving Millia a hand by shooting off his Gun Flame technique into the ground towards Zato. It was mainly due to Zato's irksome attitude rubbing Sol the wrong way. The Assassin Leader was able to evade the attack, but barely. The distraction was better than the Soldier's however, and Millia was able to get a good kick in at his ribcage, making Zato hiss in annoyance.

"That's not very nice of you to hit and run like that!" Zato split a piece of his shadow out to distract Millia as it lashed at her while he turned and lunged towards Sol with a bladed spike protruding from his elbow. Sol smacked it away, performing a rather graceful back flip for his size as Zato tried to push the retaliation with the other arm swinging forward. Sol succeeded in kicking Zato cleanly in the chin while evading the strike to make the man's head snap back from the recoil. Just another way to spite the prideful bastard.

"Like I give a shit. Later." Sol was already back on his feet and on the move, Millia having slashed the shadow puppet and bringing Zato's focus back on her.

"Just you wait...I'll make you feel a fear yet!" Zato called out.

:xXx:

Sol's long strides took him well out of the commotion as armored mecha suits of different varieties were coming to the scene. Sol didn't chance anything and just stuck to the shadows of the alleyways between buildings.

"Well now...the pride of the Zeppian Army...Slave Soldiers..." Sol muttered as he saw hulking men that were dressed in tall olive colored coats to cover themselves. Many had the tell tale signs of Slave Soldiers if the size alone didn't give them away: giant metal collars around their necks and binding gauntlets around their fists. Though incredibly slow for infantry, their amazing resilience kept them alive to fight in battles of attrition. They were bred specifically to become the insanely sized individuals that they were, though their bodies had evolved something akin to a gorilla's own. Their arms were tremendous and powerful, their reach and speed was very surprising despite their lumbering motions. Their lack of great mobility stemmed from the small but still stocky legs they possessed, making them hobble about when walking and moved using their arms not unlike a gorilla's own when they wanted to pick up speed. Still, it didn't help them much. Sol knew this from the time he was fighting along some in a joint battle against the Gears who were raiding about in Ukraine.

'To be shackled in such a way...not everyone is lucky enough to even be born free...' Sol allowed the giants to pass by the alley he was hidden in before making his way to the streets again. It was a sad truth. They were still slaves since coming to existence after all. The collar that they were forced to wear so often if not nearly all the time actually was a contraption that injected a small but still lethal bomb into the person's neck. For all the strength they possessed physically the localized bomb was planted in such a way that they could not resist it with even their great defensive bodies as it had enough force to basically blow off their head from the rest of the body. It was known as DDD(Death Dealing Device) or Triple D in some jargon of the military faction.

"Heavy...but unless someone overthrows the current President of Zepp...the tyranny within that floating rock will remain and endure." Even outside of the Crusades which was the biggest war of all, small internal wars were being waged daily all around the world it seems.

:ToBeContinued:


	9. Chapter 9

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 9: In The Air

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

:xXx:

Sol slept on board a Zepp Mecha transport airship. He was a stowaway upon this ship, hiding out by some oil drums which would hold the fuel that powered the Mecha themselves. The airships of Zepp were not really any different in appearance from the magical powered airships of the Order or private civilian liners. There was also the occasional sky pirate ones as well. The main overall difference in Zepp's airships was that it ran on solar energy which could be stored as extra electrical energy to power the ship if it needed to mobilize at night when the sun was not out. This concept for the early airships as a source of air transportation running on a more cleaner energy solution was also what would eventually prompt the creation of the man made floating island that would be known as Zepp.

Originally made to be a massive flying storage unit for Black Tech, there were still many Humans who clung to the now outdated appliances and equipment that once was so dominant in Human society. Considered outcasts for the longest time, Zepp's people carved a level of respect for themselves near the beginning of the Crusades when Gears became the rampant enemy of mankind due to the rising of Justice as a sentient Gear who also happened to be armed with the Command Ability, allowing her to assert her will upon the Gears. While the Assassin's Guild was one of the strongest organizations as far as able combatants for the Gears thanks to the Forbidden Beast Magic, the unforeseen side effects didn't make them reliable in the long run of the war. Despite being older technology, the Black Tech still had a decent effect at stopping some of the Gear forces. A good portion of Zepp citizens were mainly from military backgrounds during the times when A-Country was know as the United States, allowing them to be in the action easier and with less training involved to get them up to speed.

However, even with guns and other firearms of various types and sizes, Zepp was soon outclassed by the Gears thanks to their Magic enhanced abilities. Mecha suits were created at an astonishing rate and armed with similar weapons. Slave Soldiers came to be as a result of enslaving some of the hulking large Humans that had been bred on Zepp originally as heavy duty construction workers. The creation of the DDD(Death Dealing Device) allowed for these powerful but low mobility units amongst the army, several against their wills but had to do it to try and survive the battles the Gears waged in the war. They did eventually meet with better success then the original conventional weaponry of the Zeppian field Soldier.

'Annoying sound...' Sol's ears kept hearing the grinding and turning of wrenches and other tools from the mechanics that maintained the Mecha suits one floor above him. It didn't really help that he was already a light sleeper to begin with. He got up and stretched his limbs for a few moments before sitting back down to avoid anyone spotting him if they decided to come down to the bottom of the ship. He pulled his cloak more tightly around him as to not draw any undo attention when he heard two mechanics coming down to the bottom floor where he was situated.

"I guess I can breath easier now that the Assassin Guild's leader was caught. Hopefully like a chicken with it's head cut off, the Guild crumbles. Damn bastards have been around long enough if you ask me." One man said to another.

"Right. Though it had to be the Knights called in so that they used their binding Magics to incapacitate the Eddie so Zato-1 could be rendered powerless. I heard he did a number on most of our normal units. Guess it's to be expected with his Forbidden Beast Magic. Shit's powerful enough to contend with Gears on some level. So what did the Knights do with Zato-1 after he was caught?" The other asked, fixing a hose on the top of one oil drum before turning a nozzle to extract it. Sol figured it must have put fuel into the Mecha suits. He listened intently as the mechanics continued to converse.

"They'll put him in some high level security prison, most likely. You know the higher ups won't say anything further to the little guys like us. Heard that one Assassin chick escaped during the commotion to apprehend Zato-1. She was also one of the higher ranked Assassins. Heard she was hot, like international super star model material hot." The one laughed.

"Yep, yep. Bet she takes both the Ass's out of Assassin!" The other joked. Both shared a laugh at that one.

"Nice one, bro! Well, let's move on to the next." The hose was moved to another oil drum.

'So the Order had to come in to render the Eddie powerless in Zato. Guess Millia was sort of able to get what she wanted. Those two...a heavy relationship. Loving yet hating each other...not sure what really happened between them, but no use thinking on it. I'd better get out of here. These guys might find me if I stay put.' Sol stealthily crept by the two mechanics before sneaking up one floor higher. Here was the docking bay for all the Mecha suits. Sol stuck to the shadows as best he could, so far evading most of the activity going on and around the enormous room. Sol had eventually found an exit door but couldn't proceed just yet since two individuals walked into the docking bay from the very door Sol was about to use. Luckily a cluster of mechanical parts and other junk made a small hiding spot for Sol to hide around. One of the men was of a regular Human build and dressed in a uniform that shown him as a Sergeant by the chevrons on his collar in the Zepp military. He had a sharp nose and a thick mustache. The other was a Slave Soldier, garbed in similar clothing. He had the rank of Corporal.

"Potemkin, I wanted to discuss something with you." The man addressed the Slave Soldier.

"Yes, Sergeant?" As Slave Solders bodies were not accustomed to going into the position of Parade Rest, the usual stance the junior armed member takes when superiors of the Military address them, Potemkin took a knee and bowed his head in a gesture of compliance that held the same meaning. He still towered over the ordinary looking man regardless.

"I went over the security feed from the scout mecha when it was monitoring New York in A-Country. Good work on obtaining them by the way. Take a look at this picture...does this man behind Zato-1 and Millia Rage look familiar to you?" The Sergeant handed a photo to Potemkin. The words made Sol's ears perk up.

"Hmmm...there is something vaguely familiar about him. I'm not sure what it is though, Sergeant..." Potemkin mused as he stared at the image. The Sergeant nodded.

"I see. Let me tell you then to shed some light...you see, Potemkin, you may not recognize him that well but he was there in the Battle of Ukraine. Then he was an enlisted like us, the rank of Lance-Corporal. It would be his battle prowess which would eventually earn him both a place as an officer and a leader of his own platoon rather quickly despite originally being one out of a large force of grunts and other field related MOS(military occupational specialties) on top of lacking a further education of higher learning. His name is Sol Badguy. You've probably caught him in passing when you were still a Private, two years ago." The Sergeant explained. Potemkin gave a small nod where his slave collar allowed.

"Sol Badguy...he wasn't dressed for duty, so I can only assume he must have been on Leave. New York is a rather popular area for Knights of the Order to relax when cycled out of the war effort to relax while another takes his or her place." The Slave Soldier spoke.

"Your correct about Knights taking their leave in New York most of the time. But Sol Badguy was not on Leave." The Sergeant said, crossing his arms.

"What? What do you mean Sergeant? Unless...was he UA?" Potemkin's eyes had gone wide. UA(unauthorized absence) was a big deal in the military since it was the manpower that kept them running after all.

"I keep well in the know how of both Zepp's military and the Order...and I recognized seeing Sol's name on the list in one of the Zepp Army newspapers I read. He was amongst 13 platoons of Knights mobilized at the A-Country Order HQ in Volvania, in the west coast. They had all the able bodied people they needed for the deployment over there from the Order HQ in Paris, France. No one was going to be allowed Leave and Liberty out there at least for another three to six months. Yet Sol happens to be in the east coast only about a few days after the deployment began and the mission kicked off, not to mention in the boondocks of New York city where not too many law abiding citizens occupy. So..." Before the Sergeant could say anything further, a voice on an intercom interrupted.

"We will be arriving on Zepp shortly. ETA is twenty minutes. Also, Sergeant Gabriel, your presence is requested. I repeat, Sergeant Gabriel, your presence is requested. Please make your way to the bridge." The intercom fell silent.

"This discussion will have to be postponed, Potemkin. Proceed back to your unit. I'll pass word when I get it from the higher ups if it's pertinent to all of you." Gabriel gave a nod and then left, Potemkin not far behind him. Sol's keen ears heard when the two took their separate ways in the hall. Sol made his own way out. Better find a hiding spot that was much more lightly occupied.

'So, that Sergeant served in Ukraine, as did that big guy. They were able to recognize my face from the security feeds...must not have passed word yet to the Order, or if so, it would have to go up the Chain of Command first on both ends. Buys me a little time to make myself scarce for a few years and really get familiar with using the Fire Seal...or rather, the Magic I can conjure up with it.' Sol thought to himself. The Fire Seal as a weapon wasn't the issue, as Sol was well versed in physical combat with blades and other weapons for as long as he could remember, even despite his lazy attitude. One had to be able to fight to survive as much travel and Bounty Hunting as he did. Or fight in the war which was still going on. It was the amplified Magic aspect Sol had to get used to, since his limiter had made it difficult to channel the true extent of his Magic abilities without charging to gain focus and power.

The Fire Seal eliminated this with it's amplifying properties, allowing Sol to channel what he truly wanted from his Magic power without having to resort to charging or having to take off his limiter. He had kept his true nature as a Gear from the rest of the world already, and the Fire Seal would help ensure he didn't need to rely on it quite as much as far as channeling Magic. A win-win situation for Sol all the way. He would need to train and become more effective with the weapon's abilities to be able to stop Justice once and for all. It was the most realistic solution to end the war, but would require some time. Just having the Fire Seal right at this moment wasn't going to mean he could fight Justice and kill her in the blink of an eye.

:xXx:

Sol had created another hiding spot for himself on the airship by sneaking around the wide air ducts of the flying machine. Though some areas had a tight fit due to his brawn, he none the less made his way off the airship via it's underbelly. Luckily the airfield that housed the Airship cargo bays was near the end of the army base Sol was on. Before the airship landed within the barbed wire fences of the base, Sol dove from the still airborne ship and landed on a rather large pile of junk. Sliding down the junk heap, Sol touched down on solid ground soon enough.

"Great...from one concrete jungle to another...meh..." Sol made his way through the area, The Zepp island was home to many a scrap heap where the old Black Tech was situated, and so their junkyards were scavenged many times a day. There was never ever knowing of what exactly one might find in the Zepp junkyards, for even civilians threw away all sorts of things just waiting to be fixed up and restored by new owners and tinkerers. Zepp was always in constant motion, massive solar panels maintained daily in order to produce a livable city with electricity that they needed both at work and home. Zepp always followed the sun, and was thus almost never caught without it being daytime even during nighttime hours. The industrial look and feel of the city allowed many shade screens and tinted windows to be implemented in a moments notice. There had once been an amazing tinted glass dome of massive proportions that allowed for a nighttime environment on Zepp several years ago, but the Gears had succeeded in destroying it in an attempt to knock the floating country down. Zepp had luckily endured. Still, massive fragments of the black tinted glass lay about, though most had been moved to the junkyard areas. Sol passed by quite a few that were jutting out from amongst the other filth that surrounded him. The former Knight ended up running into a particular person he hadn't initially expected to see but knew he probably should have.

"What the...ah geez, what were the chances? I'd know that hair from a mile away even with it covered. I thought I had overheard you had become a Knight in the Order some time ago...so why are you all the way out here dressed all creepy like, man?" The person that addressed Sol wore all black. His wide rimmed hat had a skull and cross bone ornament on the side. His shades kept his eyes from view, and a long trench coat hung on his tall and shirtless frame.

"I could say the same...but pirates will be pirates. Just hiding about, huh? Tell your entourage to come out. You and I both know an ambush on me would be pointless." Sol lowered his hood from his face to peer fully at the other man, who was tapping his cane in thought. Sol knew there was a hidden blade there, as the man who stood before him was very proficient in the Japanese sword art of Iaido. The style called for a blade to be quickly drawn from and retracted back to the sheath. Such styles of swordsmanship were considered valuable due to the Gears raid on Japan about thirty some years ago, which put the Japanese race on a near endangered species list. Colonies were erected mainly in areas around the Asian continent to keep them all together and promote breeding to restore their lost numbers of pure Japanese. Some portions of the populace of Japanese remained in the protection of a Colony while others were restless and sneaked themselves out of them to be among the real world as a Colony could be considered nothing more than a glorified prison.

"Geez...ain't a damn thing that get's past you, man. You really should loosen up and live a little, Sol. Being serious all the time will turn you into an old man in record time." The man said as he removed his hat and combed his long blond hair back before placing the cover back on his head. Sol sneered.

"Your not serious enough, Johnny." The former Knight stated as he took some steps closer to Johnny. The girls that came out of hiding were armed with long ranged weaponry, the older of the girls were equipped with crossbows while the younger ones were armed with sling shots. A few had the occasional stolen Zepp mecha, though the paint jobs done to them were atrocious to Sol's eyes. All the girls wore sailor styled clothing and had pirate miters and bandannas upon their heads. Most also had rather short skirts on, but there were some with long stockings and others with the occasional pants or coveralls.

"Don't do a thing, girls. None of you are a match for him." Johnny warned, holding up his arm in a gesture to tell the girls to stand down.

"But Johnny, if he's a Knight..." One of the girls asked. Johnny shook his head, walking towards Sol himself. The two twisted into a spin, mimicking each others motions as they stepped in deep. Johnny drew his hidden blade from his cane sheath while Sol swung the Fire Seal in a similar fashion to Johnny's own attack. Their blades met with a crash of sparks. Johnny gritted his teeth, well accustomed to Sol's strength. He absorbed the recoil well by following his attack with a side step in his spin to sheath his blade quickly. He sent out another attack as his sword flashed out from it's sheath, but Sol already swung the Fire Seal downward to catch the blade and steer Johnny back again. Johnny swerved to a stop, his sword back in it's scabbard.

"That's an interesting sword. Looks more advanced than the usual things I've seen you make." Johnny said as he moved his free hand to rest against the large buckle of his belt, musing over the weapon Sol had in his possession. Sol did not respond with an answer regarding the Fire Seal, steering to another topic he felt bared more discussion.

"Where's the airship of the infamous leader of the Jellyfish Sky Pirates? I know your not stuck on this hunk of scrap by choice. I'm getting on that ship." Sol stepped forward, noting Johnny to have shifted his stance with his hand situated just above his sheathed sword.

"Whoa now...I don't swing that way, Sol. Can't take you on board, only the ladies get that luxury." Johnny said as he sidled a bit further back from Sol, his hand lowering ever so slightly upon the hilt of his sword.

"Ladies, huh? All I see is a bunch of underage girls. I'd take a real woman any day of the week, but unfortunately I can't be picky about it given the circumstances. Better just go with the flow of things and save yourself an unnecessary beat down." Sol's pace was steady, shifting to the right as Johnny released his blade from it's sheath with so much speed and power that the blade seem to shoot out like a snake striking upon it's victim but missed taking out Sol's legs from under him. Sol swung his blade forward lazily, the attack evaded as Johnny shifted back and placed his weapon back in it's sheath and resumed his stance. Sol guarded as Johnny sent his blade out again at waist level. Johnny attempted a more aggressive tactic as he propelled himself forward with a tremendous burst of speed towards Sol. Hardly visible to the Human eye, Johnny swung out his blade and slammed into Sol's own while also getting behind Sol's unprotected back, getting a good cut in at Sol's right bicep before the former Knight was able to react. Johnny thought he had a good chance to surprise Sol once more. Or so the Pirate had believed until his stomach caved in from the impact of Sol's elbow shooting out to strike there and knock the wind out of him.

"Johnny!" A rush of young girls called to their leader in worry. Johnny had some spittle leave his mouth from the unexpected strike. Sol twisted to build momentum as his free arm came forward, fist impacting with Johnny again and sending him back. Johnny retained some clarity while in mid air and performed a nifty spin. Sol noticed a liquor bottle leaving from within Johnny's coat.

"You..." Sol paused upon catching the spark from within the sheath of Johnny's weapon that ignited the edge of Johnny's sword just before slicing through the bottle itself and creating a decent explosion of flames to catch Sol off guard. Almost anyway. Sol hopped back and swung his blade to slam the debris away from him. Johnny landed on his feet. He held out his hands to halt the girls from rushing Sol, knowing Sol was indeed too dangerous for them to even try and gang up on.

"Really want to prolong this? Don't be an as..." Before Sol could finish swearing, the Pirate Leader interrupted him.

"Now, now...there are some children present, Sol. I don't need bad habits starting to set in when the youth are still so impressionable. Look, I know we go pretty far back...and yeah, I probably do owe you from that one time seven years ago...unfortunately, I'm suppose to be meeting someone relatively soon. I'm in a bit of a fix and only this guy can help. It will be the deciding factor if my crew even get's to leave the rock as you call it." Johnny explained sheepishly.

"Your ship's busted?" Sol questioned, his eyes shaded from his limiter as he lowered his head and crossed his arms, feeling annoyance starting to build in his head.

"Sort of...so I was traveling the same blue water, blue sky..." Johnny began with a dramatic sweep of his arm as he started to tell his tale.

"Spare me that and get to the point!" The former Knight scowled.

:ToBeContinued:


	10. Chapter 10

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 10: Leviathan's Raid

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

:xXx:

"Hmmm...should be any minute now." Johnny claimed as he stood mostly idle, free hand fiddling with a golden coin that had been carved with the letter J upon it's surface. Sol stood away from the Pirate Leader and the closest amongst his entourage. He smoked a cigarette to pass the time, the Fire Seal plunged into the ground within arm's reach. He pondered just who Johnny's contact could be here on Zepp. To lessen the stench, he had turned his power of smell down to that of a typical Human's

'Zepp is under oppression. Few would stick their necks out to help a rather well known outlaw...even though he does do some good in this fucked up world in his own way. All those girls...' Sol may not show it physically on his face, but he could admire the solid efforts of Johnny's Jellyfish Sky Pirates. Most females were not fighters, and several were left orphaned when the male family members had joined in the war efforts and died out on the field, most who joined the Sacred Order or Zepp Army. Johnny provided a haven for many a lost girl who usually resorted to wandering the usually barren streets of cities and other hovels to try and make a living. That was the main reason Johnny's crew was all female. Despite his flirtatious ways, Johnny had his serious and caring side. He was able to make use of what had once been his father's airship, a vehicle that was used as a weapon within the Zepp military before being shot down, into a haven for these lost girls who banded together to try and pull their own weight in the war.

They often used what were mainly guerrilla tactics at best, but any little thing helped where the Gears were concerned. The Gears had many strange creations in their armies from the experimentation performed on them through the Gear Conversion which granted them often very dangerous and bizarre abilities and powers. Sol heard the crunching of many feet before any of the others in the direct vicinity and turned his head to listen more carefully. Some girls were rushing back to their location. They were scouters who had set out to make sure any enemies could be spotted and assessed of the threat level that enemy posed.

"Johnny, it's him. Beak Nose is on his way here. He's alone." The girl reported. Johnny nodded, spinning his coin a moment longer before digging it back into the pocket of his coat.

"Good job. Let's sit tight a bit longer and greet him. Here's hoping he was able to get the May Ship up and fully functional." Johnny took a few paces towards his scouts. He had explained to Sol how his airship had been so heavily damaged about a week ago. Not far off one of the far coasts that boarded China and Russia, the May Ship had caught sight of a Gear raid occurring. The Sacred Order's Russian branch had intercepted them. Three Megadeth Class Gears had been a part of the raid. Johnny had aided them with missile fire, distracting the Megadeth Gears enough for the Knights to overwhelm one while the other two used laser breath strikes to try and shoot the May Ship out of the sky. Zepp had not been floating too far away and mobilized it's own force to assist. One of the Zepp airships recognized the May Ship and attempted to attack it with intent to weaken the airship and take the infamous Jellyfish Sky Pirates into custody. The Megadeth Gears kept them busy, but a lucky laser breath shot struck the Zepp airship that was heading for the May Ship.

Due to the explosion from having struck the engine room of the Zepp military airship, shrapnel had burst free so quickly that it had impacted the May Ship quite severely. Johnny claimed that the airship had only enough power to reach Zepp after he had called his contact from a secure line. Apparently this contact had quite a bit of influence despite only being a Grunt for most of his enlistment. It was this contact that was able to have the May Ship brought within very close proximity to Zepp and allowed to board the base of which the ship Sol had stowed away on was also headed. Having told Johnny that he could only hold the ship for one week's time to get it fixed up, Johnny and his crew had to be discreetly removed from the base itself and had been staying low while waiting for the airship ever since. The man that came into view was someone Sol hadn't quite expected to see so soon.

"So this is where you decided to hide out, Johnny. Sorry for the delay." Gabriel, the Sergeant that Sol had eavesdropped on with his subordinate Potemkin.

"Yo, Gabe, took your sweet time. Were you able to fix 'er up?" Johnny spoke in a jovial tone. Sol snarled, him and Gabriel locking gazes for a moment. Sol spat out his cigarette and snubbed it under his heel.

"Your him. Sol Badguy. To think I would find you on Zepp of all places." Gabriel spoke, making his way towards Sol rather than Johnny.

"Once upon a time, we served in Ukraine together. Seems you've figured out my desertion from the Order." Sol said. Gabriel sighed. If he was surprised that Sol was aware that the Sergeant knew about Sol abandonment of the Order, he didn't reveal it.

"I ponder as to why you would do such a thing. Unlike Zepp, the Sacred Order of Holy Knights is not steeped in corruption of tyranny. It's foundation as an organization is strong. There is very little I know about you as an individual, Sol, but I do know of your impressive strength and skill. Few people can contend with a Megadeth Gear one on one and kill it without outside aid. Even our Slave Soldiers have had to require some assistance." Gabriel placed his hand to his chin in thought.

"Keep pondering what you will. I'm getting off this rock." Sol said as he pulled the Fire Seal free from the ground.

"I can't contain you here, that much I know. The problem is..." Gabriel was interrupted by a call to his radio strapped close to his right shoulder.

"Sergeant! Sergeant Gabriel do you copy? Over." The voice Sol had recognized as Potemkin's own even with the static pitch.

"What's going on, Potemkin?" Gabriel questioned, not the only one to hear the urgent tone in Potemkin's voice.

"It's Leviathan! Sergeant, the Leviathan is heading straight for...!" Before Potemkin could finish, a giant explosion rocked Zepp from one of the outer parts of the floating island. Near one of the edges. Zepp was still rumbling softly, a large plume of smoke and debris floated skyward. It was far from them. A roar of fury sounded as far as the large city itself. Sol's grip on the Fire Seal tightened.

"Leviathan..." Sol muttered. Before the others could react, Sol was already in motion.

"Wait Sol!" Gabriel called to him.

"Fuck off." Sol flipped him off without even turning from his stride, making an impressive leap upon the garbage piles to gain higher ground with less obstacles to transverse as he leaped from one mound to another with surprising grace for his hefty frame. He had heard of Leviathan. Some Megadeth Gears were both bigger and much stronger than their fellow Megadeth Gears. It was said that Kliff was one of the only ones in his prime to fight such a powerful foe on his own. The particular Megadeth Gear had been dubbed as Hydra due to having a similar appearance to the mythical creature of the same name.

Leviathan was a similar type of Megadeth Gear, stronger and larger than some of the other Megadeth Gears Sol had faced. It was one of the key opponents that was able to assist in Japan's destruction as a whole. It took three heavily armed airships to perform a suicide run and crash into Leviathan. This was only to penetrate the extremely hard scales that protected it's skin. They all sunk to the bottom of the sea, earning one of the most costly of victories the Sacred Order ever knew since Hydra who had appeared in Europe and rampaged for several days and nights before Kliff weakened it enough to be sealed. Leviathan's sinking to the bottom of the ocean with three airships pinning it down did not allow a similar sealing to that of Hydra. As it hadn't reared it's head in nearly ten years time, most had believed it dead.

Sol picked up his pace. It wasn't out of a sense of being a good Samaritan and savior of people that Sol was moving with so much speed. As always in the life he knew, it was about his own way. His own code of ethics. No, the reason for his purposeful pace was something that he didn't fully understand. Even as far back as his Bounty Hunting days prior to his service as a Knight of the Order, Sol had only a small selection of choice words that spurred him to hunt Gears any place, any time. Perhaps his trademark slogan as it were. Having taken up Fire Seal got him feeling that perhaps the creator of the Outrage had a similar mindset. He still wasn't fully convinced that it was he who crafted the weapons of the Outrage, but he knew that it was in his own voice that spoke when he got that strange flashback from taking the Fire Seal in hand for the first time in the A-County Order HQ.

'I kill Gears...all Gears!' He may have failed to take down Justice, but he would see to it that she was brought down. This setback was only temporary. He would put the Fire Seal to good use to maximize his already vast battle prowess. In the long run of things, the caring side of Sol that was hardly ever made visible to the outside world knew that to stop Justice would avert any further tragedy in this world.

'Stupid emotions spurring me on...mine? Or someone else?' Sol could not be sure, but shook his head to rid his infernal thinking from messing with his scope. He had a Megadeth Gear to kill. The sooner the better was all he needed to know over such nonsense like emotions or scattered bits of knowledge and memories.

'There!' Sol could see the haze cresting over the jagged horizon of metal and glass. Leviathan was near. The shouts of innocent civilians scattering away would have detracted Sol's progress had he not been taking the high ground via rooftop, high pole structures and chimneys. He could see billowing plumes of smoke and flames from downed airships and many carcasses of Zepp Soldiers that laid strewn in pieces. Sol's senses sharpened, the rumbling he felt was getting closer. He hopped through the air, twisting about to evade a massive blade like wing. It cut through the buildings like a knife through butter.

"Fucker!" Sol reared upward in his twist, foot aflame as he struck the snapping jaw of a gaping maw about to swallow him whole. Leviathan was akin to a massive serpent, scales a rusty color. Unlike a typical snake however, many wings with blade edges grew on either side of it's body. Each one was like a cover, discharging massive amounts of electricity like a storm. This was what kept it flying despite it's weight. Sol completed his back flip, air dashing to evade yet another snapping jaw strike of the Megadeth Gear.

'Shit...' Sol landed on it's back, glancing back only for a moment, in some awe at the length of it's body which was still coming forth from the streets as they were heaved skyward from the force propelling Leviathan up. Sol hadn't expected the amazing reflexes, it's dragon like head twisting to face him. It lobbed a discharge of electricity at him, the shining sphere the size of Sol himself if not a bit larger. The swordsman guarded as best as he could, his body tingling from the sensation as the ball of destruction engulfed him. A roar elicited from Sol's throat and he thrust his hands downward, Fire Seal piercing into Leviathan's back to give him leverage. Leviathan snarled, feeling some pain though it was superficial at best. Sol growled.

"Heavy..." He muttered. He raised his blade upward and shredded through the attack. Some holes filled his clothes from the strike, sparks leaving his vision, but not fast enough to defend as he was smacked in the back by it's whipping tail. Sol was sent to the ground several feet below, crashing straight through the roof of one skyscraper. Leviathan turned about in the air, ready to face another wave of Zepp's military that it hadn't already dealt with as it continued to wrought destruction. Sol was in a lot of pain at the moment, his spine fractured. He upped his healing factor. All limbs that were broken or torn fixed themselves. Sol snarled.

"You'll pay for that one..." He uttered, bones and flesh returning to their original state upon his body as he stood up. Several words were scattering across his vision like someone was typing on a keyboard linked to his sight.

HEALING FACTOR CURRENT LEVEL=40%. This atttibute has increased by 24%.

ALL OTHER ATTRIBUTES(Individual Statistics not shown)=18%. These Statistics have dropped to incorporate a high increase to attribute HEALING FACTOR.

BODY RECOVERY(100%. Capacity=Full)=Excellent Condition. All pieces of the body have been recovered successfully. Disinfection complete. No Disease or Viruses to note at this time.

WARNING(!)=Activated Gear abilities may cause malfunction or breakage to the Gear Cell Limiter. There is an allotted 12% allowed of active Gear abilities to continue use before levels surpass Gear Cell Limiter's inhibiting effects.

RECOMMENDATION=Dragon Install Mode should be used. Target enemy is Megadeth Gear #100431, code named as Leviathan via Humans. Conventional weapons will cause only .5 to 1.3% actual damage to it's body structure, unless blunt force trauma from something akin to Leviathan's size is used again as in the past. Weapons of the Outrage can cause 13 to 48% damage depending on the pressure applied. Wounds created from Weapons of the Outrage will also take much longer to heal as they disrupt Healing Factors and other regenerating abilities inherit in Gears.

"Damn it...that did a number on me. It's got better reflexes than most Megadeth Gears I've fought." Sol stared at the remains of Leviathan's onslaught. It had to be stopped, that was absolutely the truth if Zepp didn't want to be ripped apart. Sol had a feeling that Zepp was lucky so far since Leviathan hadn't located the generators that kept Zepp up, and there was still various amounts of solar panels feeding them energy. Still, knocking out too many of the solar panels was likely to do what locating the generators and destroying them would also cause.

'Stupid brain of mine...stop rattling for a bit and let me think!' Sol hopped back up to the roof through the hole he had created from his fall. He rushed towards the destruction that Leviathan had left behind, tailing the Megadeth Gear. He couldn't go as fast do to the fallen buildings and skyscrapers that made them harder to transverse do to all the broken glass and piercing shrapnel.

"What the fuck...?" Sol heard the sound of an airship behind him. He caught sight of the May Ship flying overhead. Some missiles were being shot towards what Sol was sure Leviathan was located further ahead. Sol noticed that one of the destroyed skyscrapers was fairly close by where the airship was located.

'So the Jellyfish Sky Pirates are going to try and help stop Leviathan. I've got an idea...' Sol knew the May Ship was fighting Leviathan by itself, separated from the Zepp military's fleet of airships so as to avoid what had happened the last time. Johnny's tie with Gabriel must have been what allowed the May Ship to be repaired without garnering any outside suspicion. Despite being only a Sergeant, Gabriel must have been very well liked if he could do such things and not be found out by the current President of Zepp and those that were loyal to him.

Sol increased his speed, scaling up the steep slope the skyscraper provided. His enhanced hearing picked up as he heard another missile being ready to be fired. Using his momentum to keep him rooted, Sol blasted off with an impressive leap as a missile was fired and was making it's course towards Leviathan. Sol grabbed hold of the missile's case, propelling himself up by his free hand. The propulsion made Sol's hair whip wildly about along with the shreds of his clothing still intact. The missile was large enough that Sol's weight did not effect it's trajectory. He could see Leviathan smash into a couple of airships and leave them in fiery hazes of scrap metal.

'They're getting killed off from being too big and cumbersome a target for Leviathan...guess it's gonna be up to me to down this giant snake. Even wounding it's open areas is hardly slowing it down. But with this...' Sol gazed at the Fire Seal held tightly in his grasp. The war was still going on after all, no matter how peaceful things might seem at a glance.

'How long do I got?' Sol questioned.

DRAGON INSTALL MODE= Calculations complete. At your current state, including if you use Strength Release at 5% increase, Agility Release at 4% increase, Tension Gauge at 1%, and Healing Factor at 2% will be tolerable to maintain the Gear Cell Limiter from breaking. Overall Performance=70%. Increasing any parameter above this may begin to start erosion. Approximate time allotted will be 15 minutes. Activating Dragon Install Mode must be at your disclosure. Proceed?

'I already knew I would need to end this quick, but this...ah hell, might as well go ahead. If I can weaken it enough to be sealed anyway...then...' Sol knew that the closest faction of the Sacred Order must be on it's way with reinforcements and a Sealing Unit. Since Leviathan attacked, Sol wagered they were probably from the Russian and Chinese Branches heading here. Sol would have to end this quick enough to make his getaway from the Order making it's way here to Zepp. He could only hope that any annoying side effect of using the Dragon Install Mode would be fairly minor like a killer headache at best. Or he could be unconscious for about three days and wake up with a killer headache and in custody of the Order and Zepp at worse.

"Let's get down to business!" Sol leaped high in the air just a few seconds shy of the missile impacting with Leviathan's back and exploding, the concussive force making Sol spin up higher still. Sol crossed his arms at waist level as he continued his spin. Once he slowed, he spread his arms out wide as flames rolled off his body like a wave, his vision and hearing becoming incredibly sharp. He could hear Leviathan's heartbeat even through the sound of the explosion. Sol started to descend into a free fall towards the Megadeth Gear. Dragon Install had been activated.

0:15:00

HEAVEN OR HELL...

0:14:56

LET'S ROCK!

0:14:53

:ToBeContinued:

Note: I will be taking a break from writing this to begin writing my other story again, so expect an even bigger delay between this and the next update.


	11. Chapter 11

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 11: A Corrupted Flame

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

:xXx:

Leviathan growled in a low snarl, feeling pain seer into it's flesh. The Fire Seal was hacking through it's tough scales like a scythe cutting wheat for a harvest. Sol had descended upon it's stomach and started weakening it with swipes of his blade that moved faster and stronger than anything the Megadeth Gear had ever felt. The wounds made on it so far were remaining like the open sores they were, the weapon of the Outrage doing what it was made to do. It spat another destructive ball of charged lightning at the small target of Sol with exact precision.

'Not this time.' Sol's vision was so well attuned that the ball was coming at him like the pace of a snail's crawl. He ran towards and then swerved by it by running along its side, dragging the Fire Seal to leave a rather large cut aiming along it's torso to it's chest. His sheer speed allowed him to run along the side of the Megadeth Gear without losing his footing at all. Leviathan became keen on Sol's increased abilities and answered back as electricity coursed densely on one bladed wing, slamming the appendage along it's chest as both a defensive and offensive maneuver. Sol was prevented direct access to it's heart, and the discharge that was let out slammed into him, or would have had he not defended. The charge still muddled Sol's senses somewhat and he didn't expect the large fin to smack him back as it left Leviathan's chest. Sol went sailing through the air, seeing Leviathan make an complex twist of it's body to gather momentum and swing it's tail at his retreating figure. Sol grunted as his unprotected back made contact with the appendage, blood leaving through the clenched teeth and smearing the side of his face.

"Asshole!" Sol snarled, reacting with instinct and twisting to jam the Fire Seal into it's tail and getting his legs wrapped around it to prevent him from being sent back down to Zepp's surface. Leviathan growled in unbridled pain as Sol was able to halt himself, then steadily cut the bladed fin like end of it's tail off to fall to the surface. The Fire Seal now free, Sol used the momentum of the thrashing tail to get back towards Leviathan's main body and continue the assault. He had ten more minutes to remain actively in Dragon Install mode.

:xXx:

At the middle of the Zepp Army's fleet, Gabriel and Potemkin watched the fight. Even though enlisted only, they commanded a lot of respect for their own achievements on the fields of battle against the Gear menace. The Fleet's Major General was told their advice to cease fire, and she did so and ordered her fleet to follow as well.

"Sergeant Gabriel, who is that? To be fighting Leviathan alone..." The Major General had been in her late thirties, and a good friend of Gabriel's. She had been enlisted before turning over the officer side of the Zepp Army. Unfortunately, due to the needs of the military, she was assigned from the infantry duties she loved to be commander of Zepp's 189th Air Fleet. Though just as important and she was well aware of it, she still felt the nagging feeling that she was being protected by a large airship than by her fellow Soldiers on the field. There was the hint of recognition in her eyes as the camera tried to zoom in and pinpoint Sol's movements along the Megadeth Gear but was having a very difficult time doing so since Sol was just moving too fast for the camera to maintain it's view on him. Manual control was too slow as the person could barely react to Sol's burst of speed, and Automatic was proving similar even though it had the endless control of a machine which required no dexterity and stamina to move, even with slow motion activated.

"Sol Badguy...does that name ring a bell, Ma'am?" Gabriel asked, binoculars in his hands. Potemkin also had some, but he held them delicately between his thumb and fore finger.

"Sol...wasn't he someone we served with once in one of the joint missions of the Order and Zepp?" She recalled.

"Correct, Ma'am. I'm not sure why he did it, but he has deserted from the Order. Otherwise he would still be all the way across the world, in A-Country, leading the 13th Platoon Knight Raiders." Gabriel mentioned. The Major General placed a hand on her chin in thought.

"A part of the Knight Raiders...then he was part of their most close-range oriented side of the Order's infantry ranks. Well...regardless of how he appeared here at all...perhaps this is a blessing. Just on foot and a sword in hand he is doing more damage to Leviathan than our ordinance. That sword though..." She sounded like she recognized it.

"You know something about it, Ma'am?" It had been Potemkin that spoke, turning his gaze towards her. She crossed her arms under her chest.

"I've read an article once on the fascinating subject of the weapons of the Outrage set. If I'm not mistaken...I think that's the Fire Seal, a strange looking sword that was in possession of the Order, granted to them from the UN." She spoke in quiet awe.

"Ma'am, could you patch a line directly with Commander Kliff Undersn? Your high enough on the chain to do so. If you want me to file for a hearing up the chain fully, then I will do so. Just because we worked together in the past on the field doesn't mean I have the right to request such a thing from you directly. As a lower rank as well as an enlisted of the Soldier's infantry, you may instruct me of the right course to take, so long as I can speak with him frankly." Gabriel spoke. The Major General and Potemkin were both looking at him with surprised stares.

"Sergeant, I'm high enough on the chain to make a direct call to him at my leisure. I'll have you present when I make contact with him." She said. She owed him this much from teaching her to survive on the field.

"Thank you, Ma'am. Sorry for having to put you in such a position." Gabriel's tone held the truth of his words.

"No worries, Gabe. Once were back on station, let's give it a try."

:xXx:

"Hey, Johnny, why are we cease firing?" One of Johnny's crew asked. Johnny was soundless for a bit, gazing at the action through a telescope. Though such things were antiques, they still held up well in a world that was starting to regain a foot hold in the new field of Magic technology.

"That crazy bastard..." The Pirate Captain muttered. He wasn't able to catch much, less than even the Zepp Army and their much more updated Airships, but he could glimpse Sol fighting on top of Leviathan. He was also doing quite a bit of damage even with just a sword. Leviathan's scales were being hacked away, blood flowing from wounds that should have started regenerating at this point but were not. Johnny lowered the telescope from his face, his shades falling from being propped on his forehead. They landed back on the bridge of his nose and covered his eyes.

"If he can kill Leviathan...guess the least I can do is allow him passage off Zepp." Johnny said with a sigh. He walked towards the helm of the bridge.

"This is as good a time as any to pray for his success. We're not going to risk blowing him off Leviathan just for a few extra puny hits. Keep an eye on him as best you can. Heh...it won't be easy though...and something tells me he wouldn't have it any other way." He placed his hands on the rail.

"Let's make ourselves scarce to the Zepp army. We got some bunkers we can hide the May Ship at until the fighting is done. We'll go back to being undercover on the surface of Zepp for now. Be on the look out for Sol, because who knows what state he'll been in after fighting Leviathan so viciously." Johnny ordered. The May Ship made it's course towards the still undamaged areas of Zepp.

:xXx:

Leviathan tittered in the air. Sol had succeeded in dealing a vicious blow, damaging one of it's blade like wings and making it's stabilization very weak. Leviathan went crashing down in a vicious arc, skidding all the way across a large section of Zepp's surface. Sol held on to the side of it's neck, trying to steady himself so that he could go for that end all strike when they stopped moving, intent on stabbing into it's spinal column and severing it from Leviathan's brain. But Leviathan was skidding on it's side, making the attack hard to land easily without Sol being dragged under it's massive frame and crushed. He would be too useless then to finish Leviathan for the time being, he knew. He hoped it would stop soon though.

'Come on...! Only three minutes left!' Sol could hear the warnings, knowing he would be weakened for a fair bit once Dragon Install Mode wore off. If he prolonged the effect any longer, his limiter device wouldn't be able to handle it. Leviathan performed a quick strike as it reared it's head off the ground, snapping it's jaws with tremendous speed that nearly matched Sol's own movement.

'This is familiar...' The former Knight thought sarcastically, preventing himself from being eaten alive as his limbs kept the large jaws pried open. He felt the lurch of them falling, realizing he had combated the Megadeth Gear all the way back to one of the edges of Zepp. He could feel the immense strength of Leviathan's jaws bringing him to his knees within it's mouth, it's serpent like tongue darted forward to wrap around him and dragging him ever so slightly towards it's throat. There was only a minute in a half for the Dragon Install mode. Sol gathered power towards his armed hand, the Fire Seal gathering with large amounts of fire. He knew if this didn't work, he may as well be as good as dead, not sure if his body could last long enough in the Megadeth Gear's digestive tract. Even with regeneration on his side.

"Got to charge my Magic faster...! This will enhance the effects beyond the normal levels...it just has to work!" Flames had gathered incredibly dense around the Fire Seal before Sol swung the blade upward with a snarl of his lips.

"Tyrant...RAVE!" The explosion of flames that emanated from the blade was so powerful, Leviathan's top and bottom jaws were severed apart, it's head flying free from the remains of it's enormous body. Electricity shot free from parts of it's body with great violence and ferocity in thick lightning bolts, though it began to wane. Sol dashed through the air after escaping from the remains of Leviathan's jaws, trying to bring his fall as far away from the body of Leviathan's location as he could. The sky and sea were spiraling to Sol's vision. He could catch a glimpse of bits of tiny islands in the water, knowing it must have been what was left of Japan. Those tiny islands jutted from the sea like unmarked graves for the Japanese people who became so scarce. The UN had evacuated as many Japanese that survived as they could find on the island some years back.

"Fuck..." The former Knight muttered. Dragon Install had been deactivated. His head seared with immense pain as his abilities adjusted and returned to their former parameters. Then his whole body felt very weak, sickeningly so.

DRAGON INSTALL MODE=Deactivated. All Statistics will be decreased 15% below normal levels except Healing Factor, which will remain at 0.5% capacity to keep the body alive. Overall damage to the body is 54%. Body is recovering at 36% and rising. Shut Down will occur in 5 seconds to buffer feeling and damage from current free fall. This function cannot be subject to override. Approximate time for restart will be in 72 hours. This equates to 3 days. The body will make a full recovery and expected to surpass previous productive ability.

RECOMMENDATION=The body does require little rest, but taking a large amount of rest is strongly advised.

Sol closed his eyes, already expecting the black out to occur very soon. He had tried to resist it, but as it was not able to be overridden, he was stuck for now, about to go into a 3 day long coma and not knowing where he would wake up next.

:xXx:

Johnny and the crew had been using the May Ship to hop about the remaining islands. Leviathan's carcass had fallen not far from the broken remains of the nation of Japan. Zepp's air fleet had rendezvoused with the Order fleets of Russia and China and were investigating Leviathan's floating corpse among the waves of the Sea of Japan. The May Ship had left under the cover of night, not able to leave any sooner due to the heavy amount of military personnel and equipment sending relief and rescue to the citizens of Zepp.

Johnny and the others were checking one of the larger pieces of the island remains, hoping Sol's body had been swept towards the shore. Johnny wouldn't get his hopes up of the former Knight surviving, but at the same time couldn't bring himself to think Sol could not find a way to have survived and make his way to one of the land masses. He knew Sol had a knack for surviving some very dangerous situations, though he wasn't always sure how the other man did it.

Johnny did end up meeting someone on this island as his shoes plodded through the soft sands of a small beach that was marred with the debris of broken city structures which had once been magnificent skyscrapers. The rest of his crew spread out to cover more ground. He was alone because his skills allowed him to meet opposition more easily than the others. It had been a girl, just a small child. Her appearance seemed pale and ghost like in the light of a quarter moon as no clouds obstructed the night sky. Her body looked bony from a lack of proper nutrition and her eyes were wide and innocent but were shaded with depression. The torn uniform she wore reminded Johnny of those worn by school girls in Japan. It made Johnny snap to a realization.

"No way...a survivor?" The Pirate Captain spoke with bated breath, hardly able to believe it. His brief movement made the girl coil back in surprise, and she tried to run, but her legs did not take her far before they gave way and she fell. Johnny's long strides had allowed him to cut the distance quite easily, catching the girl before she fell fully on the ground. Her breathing was ragged and shallow, her body too weak to sustain her from such exertions, Johnny could tell. She slip like a boneless doll against him, unconsciousness taking hold of her. A voice from the shadows spoke to him then.

"That child deserves a home...a home of which you can provide her." The voice of the man was smooth and refined, but caught Johnny by surprise, his thumb clicking his blade free of it's cane sheath ever so slightly. In the shadow of the remains of a building did Johnny finally catch the small spark of fire, casting a small glow upon the older man's wizened face, the monocle on his eye shown with the small flicker of light. Smoke rolled free from the pipe, the only small source of light in the darkness. Johnny had wished he brought a flashlight for a moment, but didn't feel any malice from the other man. His reflexes cooled.

"Do not worry about Sol. He is going to be well taken care of. For now tend to the girl as her life is very close to ending if she does not regain her strength to live. Show her the light of life. Here" Johnny saw something tossed towards him, falling a few inches from his grasp. It was a small teddy bear, it's fur covered in sand and a few seams had been split, some white fluff escaping from it's body, which lacked a plushness to it's body as the girl lacked meat on her bones.

"Who are you?" Johnny questioned as his free hand took hold of the teddy bear. The Pirate Captain knew the other man wasn't lying, but that was all he could tell. The other man turned away, his figure seeming to meld with the shadows more and more.

"You, who is one of many who walk a momentary life will likely find out in due time." He was gone after those words. Johnny took the bony girl in his arms and decided he would do as the man said, for the child was indeed frightfully light in his arms. He needed to get her medical assistance as soon as possible so she could be well taken care of.

"In this lovely month of May, a strange but pretty girl crossed my way..." The Pirate Captain hummed.

:xXx:

Order HQ in A-Country the next day from Leviathan's attack on Zepp...

Kliff sat in his chair, offering the Major General of Zepp's army and audience to meet. A message had been sent via a weak communications ping from a radio that was running on unrefined technology of Magic. Gears could intercept these feeds if the lines were left open for too long, so the message had only been 30 seconds long and prepared in advance to ask permission to set up an appointment to meet the legendary Commander. Kliff had accepted, as there were claims of sightings of Sol by the Major General herself and the two that took post right behind her, one a Sergeant and the other a Corporal as well as being a Slave Soldier. They had taken a fast transportation Airship to meet Kliff as soon as able. It had been about a 17 hour trip since it was all the way across the world.

" At ease." Kliff had said when he saw the three go to the position of attention followed by a salute in his direction just a few moments prior to his entry to meet them in his office. After the woman and Kliff sat down, and Gabriel and Potemkin were in their respective versions of parade rest did he speak.

"If I may be frank, Ma'am, we are both very busy individuals. Please be concise with your report regarding the appearance of one Sol Badguy on the surface of Zepp." Kliff's eyes were covered by his thick eye brows and the downward turn of his head. Regardless, the three could feel a piercing stare full of clarity. Certain people had a presence, that of a Lion amongst the pack who was leader of all, and Kliff emanated with that aura very keenly at this moment.

"And I shall be frank, Sir. Now to begin with..." She explained in short detail the sudden appearance of the powerful Megadeth Gear, and of the sudden unexpected appearance of Sol fighting on top of it in the air soon after, which luckily mitigated a large amount of structural damage to the surface of Zepp and saved many citizen's lives. After her talk she just had to ask the one main thing nagging on her mind.

"...that's about all of it, Sir. There was one intriguing thing to note other than the power Sol Badguy displayed. The Fire Seal sword of the Outrage Set. I couldn't be absolutely sure, but the weapon he had did appear to be it. Leviathan was not able to regenerate at all after being attacked by it either, a customary trait of one of the Outrage weapons." She finished, hoping to catch a glimpse of some knowing reaction that would tell her that it was true that Sol had the Fire Seal in hand besides also deserting the Order. Both of which were crimes of High Treason to the Military code. Kliff did not react at all emotionally, but slid a piece of paper across his desk. It was a Bounty Hunter reward page, and Sol's face was at it's center, the reward of $100,000 world dollars for his capture or death for being a deserter of the Military, but no mention of having stolen an Outrage. Under the picture was a title and then Sol's full name.

"Corrupted Flame Sol Badguy..." She read. Potemkin could easily see the piece of paper.

"Flame of Corruption would make more sense, since his desertion could spread to others in the Zepp army or the Order's ranks. Regardless, a bounty for one deserter would likely quell any chance of him hiding..." Potemkin remarked and then suddenly stopped, realizing he spoke out of turn and without permission.

"No Corporal, Corrupted Flame is the title he shall be bestowed with, for he is not a flame that corrupts others, it is he himself that is corrupted. These will be spread world wide over the next week. Take some stacks with you to post on Zepp, Ma'am. I've no more time unfortunately. You shall be escorted out. Dismissed." Kliff's words were concise in his response, though he hadn't corrected Potemkin for the uncalled words.

"But about the Fire Seal..." The Major General did not receive a response as Kliff left his office while one of the Knights came to escort them on their way.

'Sol...you will never be the man hailed as a hero, nor do you want to hold such a title for it is not in your nature. But I will hail you for your achievements and nothing else, for there are many, besides Leviathan. Job well done.' Kliff continued to walk until reaching his training hall.

:ToBeContinued:


	12. Chapter 12

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 12: Figures Of The Past

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

:xXx:

"Frederick..." It was a woman's voice. Sol knew this much. The name he didn't. He tried to claw his way through darkness, but it all remained. His limbs, his body, he could see none of them.

"Frederick...?" The woman's voice beckoned to him once more, or so it felt like to Sol. Light pierced his vision, his eyes trying to adjust to the brightness.

'Where...?' Sol wanted to say, but the words didn't speak from his mouth. He felt as if he held no control over his body's functions. This aggravated him. But the feeling subsided decently when his vision caught sight of a pretty lady with shoulder length red hair. She wore a simple black shirt and slim jeans, allowing him sight of her lovely curves. She stood in front of a sink, washing some vegetables before placing them on a cutting board and began to dice them into small pieces with a large knife and an expert hand. It had been the transition where Sol noticed the small bulge of her belly. The woman was pregnant. Sol could only assume perhaps she was at about four months along.

"Freddie dear, did you fall asleep? That's not like you. Are you feeling well?" She spoke, and Sol saw her eyes for the first time. A contrast to her bright hair, her eyes were as blue as the night sky. She was a beautiful woman, only Sol did not know who she was. But there was a dull pain in the back of his skull that felt as if he should know her, that there was definitely something about her he found familiar and recognizable. He felt his eyes close, the pain starting to sear in the back of his skull to further along his brain. He wanted to writhe and growl, stomping out the pain, which only amplified upon his brain further when he heard her voice again.

"FREDERICK!" The scream had been blood curdling. When his eyes opened again and not by his will, he saw her again. It was his arms that were choking her, but they lacked the wild scars and musculature that Sol knew he had.

'What the fuck is this?! Let her go! Let her the fuck go!' Sol growled, trying to will his arms to release the woman. Out of the corner of his eyes, Sol realized he seemed to be in a laboratory of sorts. He was able to put the pieces together.

'My escape...' Sol pondered to himself, wondering if he was having a flashback of some kind.

'Aria...I'm...I can't...!' Sol heard the name spoken. It was in his voice yet wasn't. This voice lacked the hardened edge Sol knew his own had. His vision was turning red with anger and regret.

:xXx:

"Don't show me...this shit!" Sol woke up, his body twisted in the sheets of the bed he rested in. His fingers had shredded into the soft material leaving large holes in them. His chest was heaving, but he was trying to control his breathing and ease it down. His breaths came out normal after a few moments.

'This place...' Sol knew he was somewhere he hadn't expected to be, but he would admit it was better than being in the clutches of the Order or Zepp.

"The old man and his interferences...well, better than the alternatives." Sol was well familiar with the surrounding environs. He was in a guest room of the castle of Slayer, a castle that Slayer would show to only a select few. Usually earthbound, the castle was currently suspended in the sky. He untangled himself from the soft linen sheets and the thick comforter blanket. The bed was for the most part destroyed due to his thrashing, and Sol knew Slayer would have to toss the antique piece since there was a very unlikely chance of the older immortal being able to acquire another one so easily. Not too many fine antique pieces existed out in the world unlike Slayer's castle, which was a trove for many such things. The Crusades had pretty much seen to that. Only Black Tech survived because it had some use to the Humans.

"What the fuck are these things?" Sol had apparently shredded into his sleeping attire as well, and they hung in shreds from the waist since the pants fared better, though not by much. Catching sight of his new duds folded neatly on the seat of a high ornate wooden chair. The Fire Seal was laid across the arms of the chair. They had been patched up and washed too, for they lacked the damage Sol had incurred with them on from his battle with Leviathan, the last memory he had. This made Sol take a pause however, his shirt being tucked into his white jeans.

'System check.' He waited as some schematics flashed along his vision. He looked through some of his recorded memory banks, trying to see if there was a save option for that freaky dream he had, as it might have been a clue to his past. But there was nothing.

"What the fuck...?" Sol muttered. Usually when possible things from the past surfaced in his head, he could capture and store them for viewing at a later time. This time it hadn't worked. All Sol could really remember was that name and the woman's face.

"Aria..." He muttered the name, focusing on it to see if it brought anything dormant from his mind. He got nothing though save for a feeling of regret. A small slithering sound caught his attention.

"Old man. Guess I owe you one." Sol said as he turned to see Slayer, who was dressed as immaculately as ever. Sol hated having to owe anyone for prolonged periods of time, so it was very rare that he had to at all.

"That was quite the victory you pulled off while facing the Leviathan. It would also seem that you have chosen to leave the Sacred Order. Did you learn something from your meeting with the Gear's Messiah? Did it influence your decision?" The Vampire asked. He neither looked or sounded jovial, his expression and tone calm and neutral. He took a deep puff from his pipe and waited for Sol's response.

"I know I'm not a match for her at present. That weapon will help, but I'm going to need to become decently stronger before I attempt fighting her again. Satisfied? I kept myself alive after the bout with her...so, like I said, I do owe you, so tell me what it is you want and let it be over with." Sol grunted. He went to the seat and started to put on the remainder of his clothing back upon his person. Slayer stroked his beard, his expression turning thoughtful.

"You will indeed need to become stronger. The Sacred Order and the Zepp Army are both trying to catch you. It also seems as if the Guild is also not too fond of you for your possible antics against Zato. Your very low on the totem pole of favor with some very powerful factions. Even fellow Bounty Hunters will likely give chase. Laying low for a time would be very beneficial of you. Here." Slayer procured a sheet of paper from his coat, handing the item to Sol.

"Now this is funny..." Sol spared a small chuckle. It was his own Bounty page.

"Corrupted Flame, eh? Guess it fits." Sol said before tossing it on the seat. He tightened the straps of his gloves, then took up the Fire Seal and laid it across one broad shoulder. The two beings, neither one Human yet wielding great intelligence that made them so much more than mere beasts, came to an understanding. As far as true test of capabilities with both himself and the Fire Seal, having a sparring partner for a time who could give Sol a true fight would definitely benefit the Gear. Slayer knew this all too well.

"Shall we? Your eyes have that keen appearance...a sharpness of scope I've not seen in you ever...there is a purpose you have to strive for...one that you will most absolutely see through to it's end. A conclusion to the Crusades. The Gear's Messiah and Herald of Destruction, Justice. She is your target, your mark." Slayer claimed in a tone that spoke of the whole truth. Even if it annoyed Sol how Slayer could read him like that so easily most of the time, Sol nodded with a calm understanding, curbing his annoyance. A smirk graced his lips.

"The courtyard of the castle?" Sol questioned though already knew what the answer would be. Slayer's grin was spreading wider upon his face, sparing a glance at his fangs. It was infectious, Sol's smirk turning to a similar grin. No longer bogged down by his insecurities like his time on the front lines of the battles alongside his Knights, or of the strange dream he had of that mysterious woman with red hair, Sol was ready for a coming spar where he could release a good amount of his locked in power and not be afraid of killing his opponent out right without a chance.

"The courtyard of the castle." Slayer affirmed. With a snap of his fingers, the two men disappeared in a shroud of darkness.

:xXx:

Slayer himself would be lying if he claimed he was not feeling giddy over this spar. He knew well the weaknesses that Sol possessed that held him back. The chance to live for something or someone. In this case it was an unobstructed acknowledgment of what one purpose in life an individual decides to follow and will not let anything impede the progress of attaining that goal. By all the experiences Sol faced so far, he had truly come to acknowledge a goal he would see to completion. Upon appearing in the courtyard, both were facing away from the other.

"Now then...a weapon of the Outrage set, is it? The power of one such weapon is considered legendary. However, that is the standard classified by Humans. What then...might such a weapon have of effecting a being like myself?" Slayer questioned as he turned to face Sol. The former Knight tapped the weapon lightly along his shoulder, seeming to ponder on the words for a brief moment. Sol flung the weapon up in the air, the Fire Seal spinning during both ascent and descent. Sol turned to face Slayer, the Fire Seal's hilt upon his favored left hand as he caught the weapon.

"Only one way to know for sure." Sol uttered as he hooked his thumb into the pocket of his pants, bringing the Fire Seal to his left side. Slayer smirked.

"Indeed. Now then..." The Vampire craned his neck to either side, earning audible pops to sound out.

"You ready for this?" Sol said in a mocking tone, beating Slayer to the rest of the sentence. The two closed the distance almost instantly, the pommel of the Fire Seal hammering into Slayer's fist as they tried to snag each other in an uppercut to the chin. The force they exerted blew them both back a fair distance. With immense speed, Slayer shifted from in front of Sol to behind him while shooting out with a straight punch to Sol's back. Sol twisted in time, slamming the flat of the Fire Seal along Slayer's forearm to send the punch veering away from himself. Sol reared his own fist back then swung it forward to strike Slayer chest level. His fist went right through Slayer, and Sol realized it had been an afterimage.

Grunting in annoyance, Sol let his instincts take over a little more, able to hop away when he caught a shift in the air to his right. Slayer's fist smashed the ground where Sol once stood, leaving sizable cracks along the surface that branched outward from the point of impact not unlike to the extent of a spider's web. Sol gritted his teeth as he found it hard to react to Slayer's next strike, the other immortal's fist driving Sol a few feet. Sol remained standing as he spread his legs outward to reduce the recoil of Slayer's vicious strike. Instincts were kicked up a notch further as Sol saw Slayer disappear a split second after his gaze caught hold of the Vampire. The Fire Seal was swung from his left to right hand as the tip of the blade scraped along the ground. Sol gained a moment of clarity that was far greater than usual for him. His sword came forward, his free left hand sliding down the thick surface of metal along the length of the blade. He deftly guarded Slayer's next punch, then surprised the other man by pushing the fist aside as flames sparked and churned about the Fire Seal's blade.

'This attack...' Sol had performed it naturally, twisting about in the air as he dragged Slayer along. Slayer flew back, his suit fairly charred from the strike Sol performed. Once he had revolved once in a complete circle upon completion of the graceful uppercut attack with the Fire Seal, Sol switched grips again so that the weapon was in his left hand. Slayer had landed first and reared his fist back.

'Well...I did need something to replace the Strum Viper. So now...' Sol thought offhandedly as he reared his own fist. Their arms snaked about the other, Slayer's coming from under while Sol's came over. Each had landed a solid punch to the other one's cheek. Slayer went sailing backwards, sliding against the ground along his shoulders from the force of the blow. Sol went tumbling through the air, the back of his head slamming into one of the statues that adorned the courtyard's grounds. The force propelling Sol was enough to make the statue crumble and shatter as if it were made of fragile glass rather than sturdy stone. Sol bypassed the now obliterated statue and smashed into the next one. The fourth and last one finally slowed him down, but was left with a large indent as Sol came to stop. Sol's vision stared to fade in and out of darkness. It had been a long time Sol suffered such a blow to his head. His system told him the trauma was already being healed and reset, at an accelerated rate.

'...what to call it...?' Sol had fallen unconscious.

:xXx:

"Frederick..." Her voice again. It sounded soft and gentle. Sol felt aggravated, not by the sound of her voice, but of the name she spoke. Something in him clicked, thinking that this was no dream, but perhaps a memory.

"...I hope our child will grow healthy like his father." She finished saying. Sol felt genuinely confused by this.

'Our child...?' He wanted to ask, but he could not, his mouth did not work, nor could he break through the darkness.

'Fuck this...who is this Frederick that you talk so lovingly about, woman? Leave me out of it!' He tried to get the system of his to record these voices so he could store them and try and make more sense of it later on if at all possible.

'Damn it...I'm a Gear, so why can't I access anything...stupid brain, you better fucking start to respond!' Sol growled, feeling as if his own mind were locked in a cage and he could not escape it. Suddenly his eyes shot open and he took in a hazy scene. His ears stung from a loud bang resounding in his ears painfully. His vision seemed watery and frayed, but he thought he was in an office of some sort. The woman, Aria if he recalled the name correctly, was not with him. Four squares of light shown behind the silhouette of someone though, someone behind an oak wood desk. At least Sol thought it might have been. The figured turned, his back to Sol.

'Where...what...?' Sol's hand moved in front of his gaze of it's own accord. Sol saw from the light of the window that his hand was sticky and wet. Red stained his palm.

'My blood...?' It had been in his voice that he heard, but Sol didn't recall thinking that at all. His mind spoke for him again without consent. Yet the tone was the innocent one Sol was not accustomed to knowing. His vision went black once more.

:xXx:

Sol awoke again, but it wasn't the writhing mess he had been prior. His head throbbed painfully as he sat up. He saw a woman sitting by the light of a candle, sewing up a hole that was in Sol's black shirt. Her clothing was fairly simplistic in design, a single red dress hugging her figure. Her only pieces of jewelry were some gold hoop earrings and a wedding band upon her left ring finger. Sol took stock of himself, seeing that he was once again in strange old fashioned pajamas. The woman had stopped sewing though as she heard Sol shifting and rustling the sheets and blanket so his bare feet landed on the carpet, and she merely gazed at him. He felt the back of his head, noting a small bump back there. It had likely been larger but his healing factor was already dealing with it nicely.

"Sharon, been a while." Sol greeted in a soft monotone, nodding his head in her direction slightly. The woman mirrored the gesture, a smile of greeting upon her visage before she turned her gaze back to her sewing to salvage his shirt. Sol knew Sharon very little, the only facts he had about her was that she was an immortal like Slayer and was not of his kind. Despite this however, Slayer and her were husband and wife. When they became a married couple, Sol did not know, but could only assume it to have been a very long time for the Castle was truly old itself, as much an antique as the furniture and trinkets that inhabited it's many large rooms. Also, Sharon did not communicate on any level, or if so, Slayer was the only one who seemed to understand her.

Sharon completed her patch up of Sol's shirt, then grabbed his jeans and jacket, walking up and handing the articles to him. Sol took them with a nod. She left silently, her footsteps and the click of the door as it swung open and closed the only sound to be heard as she made her exit.

"Frederick...and Aria...right? Tch..." Sol tossed his clothes on the bed and grumbled.

"That was a good hit, old man...I was surprised to see that all my teeth are still intact." Sol said as he peered at the shadows beyond the radius of the candle's light. The light of a match cut through the darkness, Slayer igniting his pipe before snuffing the flame of the match with a few flicks of his wrist.

"That was a good technique you came up with when I tried to surprise you. It's not often you will switch hands when you attack with swords, so I wasn't sure what exactly to expect as I was merely trying to get to your blind side." Slayer said after a moment of thought. Sol nodded.

"Kind of just came on reaction. I'll definitely be adding it to the repertoire of budding techniques I'm coming up with." He said, catching sight of a new pack of cigarettes on the stand by his bed, right near an ornamental ashtray. It was welcoming to see, and Sol spared a nod as a gesture of thanks towards the elder immortal. Slayer mimicked the gesture and Sol opened the pack and took one of the cancer sticks and placed it in his mouth then lit the end with a spark from his finger. Taking a decent drag that nearly expended half of his cigarette in one go, Sol then tapped it against the lip of the ashtray, knocking the ash where it belonged.

"Any other feedback for me?" Sol drawled, his state made quite mellow by the nicotine now in his system. Slayer smirked.

"I was still pulling my punches, Sol. I hope you will grant me more of a warm up tomorrow." Slayer said with a wry chuckle. Sol cracked a grin.

"You'll get nice and toasty under the collar yet, old man. Today I woke up after being in a three day coma, I can only get even stronger from here. We'll have to see how many suits your gonna be able to salvage after I fry your ass." Sol took another drag from his cigarette, enough to expend it then crushing the butt in the ashtray.

"You sound quite energetic. Good, your acting more like the age you look rather than the age you are. I will be looking forward to tomorrow quite immensely. Well then, I bid you a good night Sol." Slayer was gone after those words were spoken, Sol now alone in the room. Today was nothing more than an exhibition, and the spars would become longer and tougher as Sol gained more experience in the use of the Outrage and improved upon the techniques he would gain through his creativity. Like with his new Viper attack which didn't have an actual name yet, or the Gun Flame. He took up another cigarette, but didn't light it yet.

'Aria...Frederick...there is a connection but I still don't know enough to formulate just what exactly any of you got to do with me, and it's all speculation at this point...either way...!' Sol's jovial grin turned neutral, his eyes stony. When he heard Aria's name, there was the feeling of regret and guilt. When he heard Frederick's name, when he heard those strange thoughts pop up in his head that were in his voice but not of his very own thoughts, a steady rage started to set within him. It would seethe within him, and Sol knew well of the emotion. Hatred.

:ToBeContinued:


	13. Chapter 13

Thievery Of The Sword

Chapter 13: Beginning Of An End

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Characters from the Guilty Gear series are the rightful property of Arc System Works.

Note(top): Just so there is no confusion, there is a time jump between events of the previous chapter and this chapter. the year is now 2175 A.D. I know that Order-Sol's story started in 2172 A.D. There's no specific date for it though, so this story will take some liberties in placing the events occuring late in the year of 2172 A.D, hence why some characters may react and say only 2 years went by.

:xXx:

Castle of Slayer

Energy gathered around Sol's frame, his teeth gritted in concentration. Slayer was nearly upon him, fist shooting forward to score a hit and interrupt Sol's charge. The Gear would admit he disliked charging, but it did provide greater results when fighting against someone as strong as Slayer. He limited his charge to some specific techniques which he had created over the course of his training here in the castle. A handier version of his Tyrant Rave was developed that cut back on the downtime in between strikes. The other one was the technique he was about to perform.

"Volcanic...Viper!" Sol rocketed upward as he switched grips with the Fire Seal, the blade dragging along the ground as vicious sparks flew about as the blade ignited. Sol had been airborne only a few centimeters shy of Slayer's fist smashing into his torso. The Fire Seal released a tremendous gout of flame that descended like great claws upon the ground and exploded with a wide radius. Sol had to whistle at his work, the ground now greatly charred and uneven due to the upheaval. Sol cursed, not catching sight of Slayer. Once Sol landed, he twisted to guard against a thrust kick Slayer sent at him. It was soon followed up with a side kick that came out very fast, but Sol retaliated with a quick strike of his own. His knee impacted with Slayer's own before coming forth with a wide side swipe of his blade.

"Damn..." Sol muttered, Slayer disappearing from his sight. He rolled forward as he tucked his body inward in one fluid motion from his attack, evading a slam strike that cracked the ground. Sol rushed in, swinging the Fire Seal underhanded as he tried to land a cut on Slayer's person. The elder immortal smacked the blade away with one hand as his other fist came ramming forward. Sol intercepted with his empty hand, his fist meeting Slayer's own. Sol twisted around, sending his elbow crashing against Slayer's face, or would have had Slayer not intercepted his empty hand with a palm.

"Too slow, unfortunately." Slayer quipped, spinning Sol through the air as he tossed the former Knight aside. Sol landed on his feet, taking a giant step forward and slamming the Fire Seal in a wide arc, an attempt to catch Slayer off guard. Slayer smacked the weapon aside to leave Sol open. But the former Knight was far from helpless, twisting to evade a kick to the side of his face and bringing the Fire Seal to bare. Slayer disappeared from view. On instinct did Sol kick out backwards, catching Slayer in the stomach with enough force behind the impact to make Slayer fly back off his feet. The Vampire recovered mid air and landed in a low crouch. Sol was already trying to capitalize, rushing him. Slayer was faked out by a feint slash to his right as he raised his arm to deflect the strike. Sol's free arm snaked past his guard to grab a fistful of Slayer's collared shirt. The Gear reared up before slamming his limiter into Slayer's forehead and dropping him. The two squared off again once Slayer rose back up. Both had a slight amount of labored breathing, having been training for nearly four hours. Their limits were higher than ordinary men though, so they were able to press on, their bodies having only a small sheen of sweat.

"Becoming a little predictable that time, old man." Sol said in a lazy drawl, a small smirk on his lips. Slayer chuckled softly.

"So I was. Still, your looking a bit worse for wear, my friend." Slayer said, and Sol took quick stock of both of their appearances. Slayer had received a decent amount of burns at the back, some of the charred pieces showing above the shoulder line of his blazer with his shattered monocle dangling by it's gold chain near his breast pocket, and two burns just below the right knee of his trousers. As for Sol himself, a portion of his black shirt was ripped apart to expose the side of his abdomen, while the leather strap of his jacket was broken nearly at the buckle. Both gloves were shredded but his left one still had the metal protector on the back of it. He had two large holes at each knee of his jeans, and one strap on his right thigh was gone as well as the one on his bicep.

"We could keep going bashing each others faces in, or we could take a break and get these things patched up. I'm opting for a break. I want to get these clothes patched up and get some rest. This is my last day here after all." Sol said after mulling over his thoughts for a moment. Slayer would sometimes check the progress of the Crusades for a time and update Sol to what was happening out there if Sol would ask him. So far while they were "interfering" with the each others lives, Sol would ask him to do this on somewhat of a regular basis. Sol had received some rather essential information regarding the war. Justice had shown up again and was being pursued by the Knights. She had lost many troops in the first two weeks of the start of this new campaign kicking off to bring a stop to her strife against Humanity. Kliff and Ky were both there and were closing in more tightly than ever before. Still, Sol wasn't fully convinced. The fight he had with Justice, that small skirmish revealed to him that she held back much power. Kliff was getting older, and Ky was likely much stronger now and had a weapon of the Outrage set but no true experience fighting Justice at all yet. Sol was pondering if this was his chance to test his new abilities against Justice. Despite losing so many of her comrades, Justice was still evading the Knights and their clutches. That is why today, after nearly a year and a half's worth of training to figure the strengths and limitations of the Fire Seal while also sparring with a superior opponent, Sol was planning to fight Justice on the battlefield once more. This would be his test.

"Very well. Get your rest. I will check the status of the war thus far." Slayer said, disappearing in a shroud.

:xXx:

Sol had located Sharon to mend his clothing. It had been a few hours before Slayer had returned at all. His expression was a bit grim.

"It would seem Commander Kliff has fallen to Justice. He still lives but is in the holding camp for the Sacred Order's Infirmary. Sir Ky has taken a sizable amount of Knights to chase after Justice." Slayer said after a moment. Sol nodded slowly.

"I see. Old man, I want you to take me to an outskirts of the base camp. With this, no more interfering. This is our war to settle. You just watch from your throne. Let's get out of here." Sol's eyes told Slayer all he needed to know. Sol had a focus he lacked when they first sparred so long ago at the wreckage that had been Volvania station in A-Country. The older immortal knew he was ready to truly face Justice with more than what he once had in their first match. A weapon of the Outrage was just another bonus. Sol had the physical weapon to contend with Justice as Ky had, but he also had some experience handling Justice like Kliff. Sol was also stronger than normal Humans due to being a Gear. He had all the necessary things to give Justice the toughest fight over the Commander and his prodigy second in command. He would be able to track her easier as well. Sol placed the cloak around his frame, the Fire Seal in his left hand. He was dressed in his duds. He was ready.

:xXx:

Outskirts of the Base Camp of the Sacred Order

Sol was left walking alone from the coffin shaped portal Slayer provided. The rain was falling, thunder booming, and lightning streaking about the darkened sky. Sol caught sight of the red cross shaped symbol of the infirmary, knowing that Kliff had his own tent. It was the smallest one, not too far from the rest of the patrol of Knights on guard. Sol knew their patterns all too well though and slipped by several of the tents to get to Kliff's own. He used his superior hearing to catch if anyone other than Kliff was in there. Hearing none, though it was made a bit difficult with the storm raging, Sol sneaked right in from the front after bypassing one of the Knights outside on patrol.

Kliff was laying down on a cot, portable IV and other hospital equipment set up around him. Sol looked at the steady beats of the heart monitor. Good, the old man was stable. He was bandaged up good from his fight with Justice, and Sol pondered if Kliff had used his Ki technique to gain back his youth and former strength to contend with Justice. Kliff grumbled in his sleep, starting to wake of his own volition.

"Who's there...? I know someone is." Kliff said after a moment of shaking his drowsiness. His voice was strained from his injuries but his eye shown with clarity. Sol stood before him and removed his drenched cloak.

"It's been awhile, old man." Sol said in a nonchalant manner. Kliff chuckled.

"Sol...don't you think your reporting in to the wrong person? It's been nearly two years..." Kliff had a wry smile on his features, as if talking to one of his own men. But that was truth, for Sol was still a part of his Knights in his old eyes. Sol shrugged.

"Right...the boy would greet me with a sword rather than a smile. I'll pass on that one. But seriously, I ain't staying for tea and crumpets...just want to say, don't die just yet old man. We're about to see it...the war's end." Sol looked about briskly as if hearing something and was gone before Kliff could say anything else, rushing outside while placing his cloak back on. Kliff almost thought it was a dream. Not more than a few minutes later, one of the Knights came in, with a water proof poncho on their person. It was a Knight under the Medics division barring a band on her forearm with the scarlet cross.

"Oh, Commander, your awake. How do you feel?" She asked after a moment, seeing him looking at her.

"I feel okay. Any word about Justice?" He asked as he sat up gingerly in his cot with some aid from her.

"Not that I've heard. Sir Ky and his unit are still searching the mountains." She spoke. Kliff nodded.

"I see." His eyes became distant, thinking on Sol's words. The Medics Knight was looking over some of the infirmary equipment

"The war's end..." Kliff muttered. Sol had shown him something that he once lacked. Confusion had given way to conviction, but Kliff had only caught sight of it since he and Sol knew each other so well both on and off the battlefield. Sol's statement was bold. But it should be. For it was the bold that saw things get done. Kliff's smile became a grin. Now hopefully Ky himself was safe.

"Sir Kliff...what was that? I didn't catch it." The Medic Knight was looking at him from her place viewing the heart monitor. Kliff looked to her and his expression became slightly more subdued, but a smile was still upon his face though it was hard to view from the thick beard of his.

"It's nothing, lass, just that I'm feeling a lot better now is all." He said. The Medic Knight smiled, glad to hear that.

:xXx:

Sol had been scouring the mountains, the rain not making them any less formidable to pass, he could hear the sounds of fighting up above. Justice still had some straggling Gears at her disposal and the Knights under Ky's Unit was fighting them. They were making good head way, but were distracted enough to let Sol pass by without conflict. A fissure was were he found the body of Ky Kiske, who was severely wounded in a similar manner to Kliff. Sol could recognize those injuries from Justice's claws and talons. The young Knight had finally got his first taste of fighting Justice, but it hadn't done him a lot of good from the look of things.

'Well...at least the boy's breathing, that's good.' Sol had checked his pulse, then started to rip strips from his cloak to cover the young man's wounds once he gently took him to more flat and stable ground.

"Uh...where...?" Ky moaned in pain, out of it with delirium from his injuries. Even so, the blonde haired youth had an iron grip about the Thunder Seal, holding it in white knuckles even as he had been unconscious. Sol dared not make a sound, and Ky did not recognize his as anything due to his fogged and befuddled mind. He continued to treat the young man though, and used a vial of potion that had been in Ky's pouch and forced him to drink it and help his healing process further.

'The old man wouldn't forgive me if I left you to die, boy. You may not think it, but we are comrades in arms. Stay alive, you've got a long life to live after all.' Hearing Knights starting to scale up further, Sol felt he had done what he could for his comrade, much as he knew Ky would see it a lot differently, and was glad Ky was out of it for the most part. He left the younger man without a word, and increased his Gear senses to higher levels to pick up traces of Justice. He was going to keep his words true to Kliff.

'This is gonna be it! It has to be!' Rage fueled his thoughts, his thoughts became actions. Once he pinpointed her scent through his nose sifting through all the smells in the air, he was off at nearly a full sprint as his cloak billowed behind him. Only deep down did he start to realize where it was he was headed to meet her at. Truth be told it was a very, very long trek to make. A smirk graced his lips. Regardless, It would be a fitting place.

:xXx:

0:00 exactly, Stairway to Heaven

'So here I am again...' Sol thought to himself, he was catching his breath from exerting so much effort in his dash to get here. He was never usually one to give his absolute best in anything. But this was far too crucial a point to ignore. Justice was cornered, but if allowed to linger too long and she would escape the grasp of the Sacred Order for sure once again. The Crusades had been going on for nearly a 100 years at this point. The constant strife with Gears and Humans and the fear the Gears instilled in them had to be put to rest once and for all. It would not be and end to all wars, for Humans would always find ways to bring about war on themselves, but this particular had run it's course far too long.

'She'll be up there once more...the very tip of the Tower of Babel. Let's get this over with.' Not bothering to hide his power, Sol took amazing leaps upon the outer remaining structures that held together as part of the Stairway to Heaven sewer system. Parts of the piping was so brittle that it crumbled under Sol's weight but his speed allowed him to bypass the falling pieces as they fell deeper into the crevice. Rain made things slick as well, but Sol was mindful of this and still made his way with just as much caution to the environment as he did with his speed. He barreled into the entrance of the tall structure and made his way up all the way to the familiar sights.

'Exactly 30 minutes to get my ass all the way up. Not bad. Hard to believe I'd see all these things again only after two years have passed. Well, almost three sort of. Oh well...' He walked to the top where he saw the crystallized Gear husks still hanging in suspension. He caught the familiar sight of red hair and white armor. Justice's back was turned to him, just like back then. The hood of his cloak had fallen back from all of his movement to get up here.

"...That was a merciless enemy." Justice spoke aloud. Sol wondered if she was talking to herself. He was sure that she would be aware of him being here. She did not turn to regard him as of yet though.

"The Humans are blessed with far more superior skill as a combative species than us Gears. Perhaps that is why...beings such as myself were created for a precise reason. To offer release for their urge to fight one another and destroy themselves." Justice continued to ponder aloud. Now she turned to look at Sol.

"If such was the case, would it not be the ultimate irony? What have you to say to that, Corrupted Flame?" She turned to fully take in his appearance. Sol knew now that she had likely come across one of his wanted posters during these past couple of years to be calling him the Corrupted Flame. He hadn't given the title from the Bounty much though since he'd last viewed it, just considering it fit. Now though, it seemed to encompass more the further he thought on it. He was traitor to both sides, the Humans and Gears.

"Enough of your ramblings, Herald of Destruction. There's no sense to reason with here. Get ready for this!" He threw off his cloak fully, standing tall against her. Justice could only chuckle.

"You offered the first strike the last time, so I suppose now I'm the one who should do the honors!" She was near point blank in front of him in an instant, but he was ready. She sliced forward with a powerful Michael Sword to try and cleave his head off, but he guarded with his free hand, catching her wrist in a strong hold to halt her sword just shy of touching the side of his neck. Justice could only give a gasp of surprise at this, before Sol twisted and brought his armed hand forward, slamming both his fist and the rectangular guard of the Fire Seal into her protected ribs. The force of the blow sent her flying back, but she gracefully got herself upright with a back flip to touch ground again.

"Well now...that actually tickled...you've been training hard it seems." Justice said, feeling a small crack in her armor plating. It was very slight though, so she was not worried about it in the slightest. Still Sol was confident. That may have been one small chink in the armor, but that was all that was needed to start destroying it completely.

"Bring it!" Both combatants began to strafe about the other, poised and ready to attack in earnest. Their pride and glory was on the line now. This last battle of the Crusades.

:ToBeContinued:

Note(bottom): Sorry for such a delay, but I've been very busy. Wasn't sure if I wanted to post the whole fight for Sol and Justice this chapter or not, then just decided to add it in the next one. I'm not satisfied with the rushed feel of most of the chapter and sorry for the time jump, but I do feel the build up for this pivotal battle was where it needed to be. Hopefully the next update will come out sooner and easier.

If anyone didn't realize, the last part where Sol meets with Kliff and Ky briefly is somewhat based off the events of Justice's GGXX story where she has fought and defeated them before Sol comes into the picture during it. I know some of these interactions may make Sol seem more of a softy than most might be used to seeing in my writings about him, but I've been trying to give his character more depth than I usually do in this story and hopefully it shows while still retaining him comfortably in character.


End file.
